Real Madrid have already drawn up their shortlist for the upcoming summer transfer window, with a clear focus on reinforcing their central defence.
The club has reportedly identified two French centre-backs, Ibrahima Konaté and Dayot Upamecano, as potential replacements for Éder Militão and Antonio Rüdiger, who are both expected to depart come the end of the current season.
Liverpool appear resigned to losing Konaté, with reports suggesting the Frenchman has already turned down three contract offers. Meanwhile, Upamecano is reportedly putting pressure on Bayern Munich to finalise a new deal. However, with negotiations currently stalled, he could be tempted by interest from other European giants.
While Florentino Pérez isn’t always easy to praise, Real Madrid have certainly gained an edge over their Spanish rivals in the transfer market. The club has shown exceptional foresight, securing players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kylian Mbappé on free transfers, while landing the next generation of superstars for relatively modest fees.
Now it is Barcelona's time
Still operating under a 1:1 transfer rule, the club has a clear opportunity to strengthen its defense. Securing both of them is being a bit greedy in the club's current financial predictiment, so tempting one of them to Catalonia shouldn't be overlooked. By offloading assets such as Ronald Araújo, Marc Casadó, and potentially Fermín López, next year Barcelona could free up the wage budget necessary to attract either of the two top-tier French defenders.
Bringing in one of these signings to partner with Pau Cubarsí would mark a significant step forward. Solidity and pace is required for this high line that is the preference currently and those options courted elsewhere certainly offer the qualities Barcelona require.
Konaté appears the more likely of the two to move this summer, while there remains a possibility for Upamecano to stay at Bayern Munich and extend his contract. Personally, I would favour Upamecano as the stronger option. While Konaté has shown promise, his tendency to make costly errors raises concerns. In contrast, Upamecano has proven to be a more reliable presence for Bayern, consistently demonstrating superior speed and agility over the years.
Just three games into the season, it’s already evident that the defense is a weak point, conceding goals against Levante and Rayo Vallecano has made that clear. The new center-back pairing in the previous fixture sent a strong message to Deco and Laporta that the current defensive setup is not up to standard.
Whether the transfer window will be more favourable for Barcelona next year remains to be seen. However, securing a deal for either of these two defenders would be well worth the effort—especially to prevent Real Madrid from signing one, or even both.