Barcelona have been scouting the transfer market to sign young defensive replacements for the duo of Samuel Umtiti and Junior Firpo.
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Quique Setien feels that Barcelona must locate a budding central defender who can ease the pressure off Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet in the upcoming season and eventually mature into a world-class defender who can secure the back-line of the Camp Nou for many seasons to follow.
The Spanish giants have been able to identify Tanguy Kouassi from Paris Saint-Germain as a potential player that the club could sign in the upcoming transfer window. Kouassi is a young 17-year-old French defender who has been able to work his way up to his clubs first team this season.
In his 6 league appearances he has been able to score 2 goals and has showcased versatility in his play by being able to play both as a central defender as well as stopper in a slightly advanced role of defensive midfield. The budding Frenchman has an estimated market value of 15 million euros and has a contract that expires in the summer of 2020.
Over the past few days there have been rumours that the teenager has decided against renewing his contract with the Parisians as he feels leaving the Ligue 1 could see his career turn positively. According to the Don Balon, clubs such as Chelsea, Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Napoli have shown interest in signing the young Frenchman.
Barcelona must try to lure Kouassi into their squad to solve their defensive problems. The youngster has portrayed signs that he can help the club fill the void of Samuel Umtiti and if he is nurtured well by the staff, he could potentially even act as long-term replacements for Gerard Pique or Sergio Busquets.
However, there is a big risk for the Spanish giants considering the fact that Kouassi is only 17 and there is chance that he might not be able to adapt to football away from France where he’s played all of his life. The Spanish giants could alternatively try to sign more experienced defenders such as Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate who have been heavily linked with a move to Barca over the last few weeks.
What do you think Barcelona should do?