Should Barça sign a full-back in January? The mistakes against Celta reflect the culé defence

FC Barcelona's visit to Celta Vigo (2-2) reopened the debate on the need to sign a full-back in the next winter transfer window. Both Jules Koundé and Gerard Martín had a night to forget at Balaídos, with the Catalan player leaving the worst impressions in the match on matchday 14 of the League.

The '35' was a starter due to Alejandro Balde's physical discomfort and was cautioned at the start of the match for a late tackle on Hugo Álvarez. Afterwards, Martín was close to a penalty and expulsion in two plays with Iago Aspas as the protagonist. This led to Hansi Flick taking him off at half-time to put on Héctor Fort who, at least, gave more peace of mind than Gerard despite playing with a different profile.

In the post-match press conference, Flick made clear his annoyance at the defensive errors when referring to the exit of Gerard Martín and the expulsion of Marc Casadó. "I don't make changes based on whether they get a yellow card. We made a lot of mistakes, we didn't have confidence with the ball. I haven't considered making Casadó's change because of a yellow card. I make changes based on performance," argued the German coach.

Koundé completed his worst match of the season in Vigo

On the right, alarm bells are also ringing in Barcelona. Jules Koundé, a guarantee so far in 2024/25, had his weakest game of the season at Balaídos, with several inaccuracies in his start and a gross oversight that led to the 1-2 partial scored by Alfonso González in the 84th minute.

At the moment, Héctor Fort is the only alternative to the Frenchman on the wing, awaiting the return of Ronald Araújo. The 'charrúa' has covered the right wing on several occasions, but it remains to be seen how long it will take him to recover his competitive rhythm after spending four months injured.

Barça do not rule out going for a full-back in winter

For Barça, the possibility of signing a full-back in January remains open, although for now there has been no definitive decision on the matter. The left side would be a priority, with options such as Hugo Bueno (Feyenoord), Almugera Kabar (Borussia Dortmund) and Álvaro Carreras (Benfica) on the table, without forgetting Alphonso Davies (Bayern).

On the right, however, an immediate move is not contemplated, although there are several names on the culé radar thinking about next season. Alternatives such as Tiago Santos (Lille), Jeremie Frimpong (Leverkusen) and even Reece James (Chelsea). There has also been speculation about the possible return of Óscar Mingueza, although his poor performance on Saturday against Barça may definitively dispel that rumour.