"However, as highlighted by SPORT, the reigning La Liga champions could find a solution in Juliano Belletti's Barça Atletic squad. Alvaro Cortes an option Hansi Flick could look at Indeed, as per the outlet, if Barcelona's defensive absences make it necessary to look for a reliable centre-back, Hansi Flick could look at reserve team captain Alvaro Cortes. Cortes is a solid, technical and consistent centre-back who is more than ready to make the step up to elite football."
"The 20-year-old left-footed central defender has been at Barça since 2021, having arrived from Real Zaragoza. While he had some difficulties early on and had to spend a season away on loan, the Spaniard has grown in stature in the past few years. A permanent fixture in the Barça Atletic defensive line since last season, Cortes has performed admirably. Strong in defence and capable of building up play from the back, he is also left-footed and could be a handy solution for the first team."
Barcelona face a central-defender crisis after Ronald Araujo took a leave for mental-health reasons and Andreas Christensen suffered a partial ACL tear, sidelining him for four months. Eric Garcia has been used increasingly in midfield and as right-back cover for Jules Kounde, reducing centre-back options. The club is considering accelerating recruitment to sign a central defender in January. Reserve-team captain Alvaro Cortes, a 20-year-old left-footed centre-back who joined from Real Zaragoza in 2021 and matured after a loan spell, has established himself at Barça Atletic. Cortes offers defensive strength, composure on the ball, and senior-team training experience, making him a viable interim option.
Read at Barca Universal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]