The biggest names in football have been linked to Barcelona and Real Madrid this summer, and many have arrived. Chile forward Alexis Sanchez was unveiled at the Catalan club on Monday, while Jose Mourinho's side are currently on tour with a handful of new recruits, including left-back Fabio Coentrao (who is being used in a more advanced role in the United States), winger Jose Callejon, and midfielders Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop. On top of all that, Madrid still hope to bring in a striker, with Neymar, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor all mentioned, while Barca turn their attentions to Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

But what about the defenders?

Barca's backline was notoriously difficult to breach last season as the Catalans conceded just 21 goals in their 38 league games. Nevertheless, coach Pep Guardiola was forced to shuffle his squad in the absence of defensive leader and lynchpin Carles Puyol. Barcelona lost five games in total last season and Puyol was absent in all of those. His presence lifts the players around him and brings the best out of central defensive partner Gerard Pique. Puyol's troublesome knee injury saw him restricted to just seven games after Christmas - a total of just 377 minutes.

With his captain missing, Guardiola was forced to field a number of different players in central defence, including midfielders Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano. Such a situation, however, is hardly ideal and surely not one the Barca coach will be keen to see a repeat of in 2011-12. The idea, at the beginning of last season, had been for left-back Eric Abidal to fill in and he did so admirably until he was sidelined himself by a cancerous tumour in his liver.

Abidal returned triumphantly to lift the Champions League trophy, but whether he can resume a regular role remains unclear, while Puyol's participation in the coming campaign is also something of an unknown quantity at this stage.

So far this summer, Barcelona haven't come remotely close to signing a central defender, although the Catalan club were keen to bring in Sporting Gijon full-back Jose Angel, who ended up moving to Roma.

Madrid have signed a defender, 18-year-old Raphael Varane. The teenager was snapped up from Lens - with the help of new sporting director Zinedine Zidane - and looks to have a bright future ahead of him, but centre-back is one position where experience is vital and Mourinho is unlikely to blood the youngster in the big games just yet.


Varane replaces Ezequiel Garay, a decent back-up option who has left for Benfica as part of the deal (although negotiated separately) which took Coentrao to Madrid. That leaves Pepe, who began last season with an injury and is prone to muscle problems, Ricardo Carvalho and Raul Albiol as the other three central defenders. However, Pepe produced many of his best performances last season as a midfield enforcer and is expected to feature in that role in the big matches again this term. Albiol is generally reliable but doesn't appear to have won Mourinho's trust, while Sergio Ramos (another option) looks likely to start the season as the side's right-back.

Madrid do have options, arguably more than Barcelona, but as they attempt to break the Catalans' dominance domestically and in Europe, they can ill afford to be left short. Compare the situation to the wealth of attacking options Mourinho has at his disposal and in this particular department, the squad appears slightly too thin.

So, instead of the glamour and the Galacticos, perhaps Jose and Pep should consider at least one top-quality defensive reinforcement each this summer. It could be make or break because, after all, as the old adage states:"Strikers win games, but defenders win championships."

From:you-know-where

Barca do, but Madrid dont

"By Ben Hayward"

lmao, he writes shit articles all the time... we have ramos that is a natural cb and varane when needed, plus I still think carvalho can handle 1 more year.

Barcas case is different though, I agree that they need a new defender now considiring Puyols time might be over

omarish wrote:"By Ben Hayward"

lmao, he writes shit articles all the time... we have ramos that is a natural cb and varane when needed, plus I still think carvalho can handle 1 more year.

Barcas case is different though, I agree that they need a new defender now considiring Puyols time might be over

Not just that the only 3 CB's in Barca's squad are Puyol, Pique and Fontas

The dumass didnt even write down marcelo.

goal.com

Ben haywire

Real Madrid CB's: Carvalho, Pepe, Albiol, Varane and Ramos
Left/Right Backs: Marcelo, Coentrao, Arbeloa, Ramos and Altintop

Why do we need anymore defenders?

Edit: Goal.com are a joke website, laughing stock of the football world media like the dailyfail why do people continue to read that crap?

Because someone had a deadline to deliver an article and was out of ideas…

Altintop can play full back?

yeah, altintop can play fullback.

we dont have any problem with depth now. Pepe is a quality CB, with carvalho mentoring Varane , mou knows defense, and we didnt sign him just because zidane recommended him lol.

Just read this. So glad others picked up on it.

I find it disrespectful to both their readers and the field of sports journalism that goal's journalists write their articles with no or often incorrect evidence to support their claims. How hard is it to do a bit of research?? Two of football's biggest clubs too... Unbelievable.

What I found most striking was the fact that he doesn't even list Andreu Fontas as a Barca defender, a player that has been part of the first team for 6 months. His name isn't big, of course, but to write an article about this... surely you would first make sure you actually know what the two teams' defensive options actually are! Moreover, clearly he has limited football knowledge and again his research is incredibly limited as he doesn't even consider the golden era of Barca's youth defenders. Muniesa, Bartra, Sergi Gomez and Martin Montoya have all starred for both Barca B and Spain's youth sides, yet I suspect he hasn't even heard of them. In emergencies, clearly Pep is happy to call on such players.

What's more, a little time and maybe he would have figured out Pep will clearly use Abidal and Mascherano more regularly at centreback this season. He mentions that Barca are after a young left back, but doesn't put two and two together that this clearly means Abidal will play at centreback more often as he ages. Its also clear that Mascherano is no Busquets, but is very happy to play at centreback or DM whenever required, and seems to play either equally well.

In Alves (Montoya) - Pique (Mascherano, Bartra, Gomez) - Puyol (Abidal, Fontas, Muniesa) - Abidal (Adriano, Maxwell), Barca have plenty of options.


So then he takes it a step further... why don't I make this article a bit longer and say some bullsh*t about Real Madrid too!

Pepe produced many of his best performances last season as a midfield enforcer

What... like a couple of games against Barca? ... Many?

Let's take a look at Madrid's first team options... Ramos (Arbeloa) - Pepe (Ramos, Varane) - Carvalho (Albiol) - Marcelo (Coentrao). Thats 8 quality (or 7 quality and 1 very promising youngster fine for backing up) defenders... and there's still the likes of Altintop, Diarra and cantera product Nacho to fill in in emergencies. Doesn't seem like a problem to me.

Maybe what makes this more stupid is that Madrid have strengthened their defence for the new season. Half their signings have been defensive ones. Maybe questionable ones... but its not been 'all glamour and galacticos' you muppet... its been 2 defenders, 2 backup players and a quality midfielder. Their biggest signing was a defender!

Barca nedd some reliable Cbs though.Fontas,Bartra are on par with lower league defenders at the moment.

Nah, Mascherano and Busquets are more likely to play if backup is required in major games instead of Fontas or Bartra

thing is barca has so much possession even half decent defenders will do.

Thats true ,their biggest defense is possession not the mighty victor valdes (lol timhowardisbetter)

The should've picked up my thread about Bayern. Their defence is really...

Adit wrote:Thats true ,their biggest defense is possession not the mighty victor valdes (lol timhowardisbetter)

LOL Okay lad

None the less i agree with your above comment Barca needing experience CB because the kid's Kizz mentioned are talented but they are far from ready yet.

I would go for someone like Alex, he can be a fantastic step in for Puyol( when he need's rest, injured etc etc), shown at Chelsea he does'nt kick up a fuss if placed on bench and is experienced so could use that to bring through the kid's.

Every one needs alex but chelsea aint selling him,wtf

I think Chelsea is asking for a lot of money for Alex. I think close to 20m euros. Not many top clubs have that kind of a budget unless they need him for the starting 11.

Immaculate_Mole wrote:

Adit wrote:Thats true ,their biggest defense is possession not the mighty victor valdes (lol timhowardisbetter)

LOL Okay lad

None the less i agree with your above comment Barca needing experience CB because the kid's Kizz mentioned are talented but they are far from ready yet.

I would go for someone like Alex, he can be a fantastic step in for Puyol( when he need's rest, injured etc etc), shown at Chelsea he does'nt kick up a fuss if placed on bench and is experienced so could use that to bring through the kid's.

Mole... wouldn't you be happy with a
Alves- Barta - Puyol - Abidal
-------------Busquets
defence against practically any team other than really big matches? I would be perfectly happy.

Against the bottom half in La Liga for example:
Montoya - Pique - Fontas - Adriano
---------------Busquets

I'm happy....


I'd take someone like Alex, but someone under their 30s we don't need.

Start throwing in Fontas and hope he grows as fast as Pique did. Since Barca have great depth in midfield, I think they'd just stick to putting Mascherano there where he's excelled. Busquets is better in midfield, anyways.

BarcaKizz wrote:

Immaculate_Mole wrote:

Adit wrote:Thats true ,their biggest defense is possession not the mighty victor valdes (lol timhowardisbetter)

LOL Okay lad

None the less i agree with your above comment Barca needing experience CB because the kid's Kizz mentioned are talented but they are far from ready yet.

I would go for someone like Alex, he can be a fantastic step in for Puyol( when he need's rest, injured etc etc), shown at Chelsea he does'nt kick up a fuss if placed on bench and is experienced so could use that to bring through the kid's.

Mole... wouldn't you be happy with a
Alves- Barta - Puyol - Abidal
-------------Busquets
defence against practically any team other than really big matches? I would be perfectly happy.

Against the bottom half in La Liga for example:
Montoya - Pique - Fontas - Adriano
---------------Busquets

I'm happy....


I'd take someone like Alex, but someone under their 30s we don't need.

My point is to get an experienced head that can slip in for the big matches especially, i agree we dont need anyone under the age of 30 with all the talented kid's coming through.

Ben Failward

Adit wrote:Thats true ,their biggest defense is possession not the mighty victor valdes (lol timhowardisbetter)

LOL, sorry but Valdes is the best sweeper keeper in the world, lmao at howard

Hmm, who's the top ranked sweeper keepers in the world? N.B I have no idea that such a title existed and I'm legitimately intrigued...