Barcelona are arguably light in defence, but reports claim Lionel Messi has learned that the Catalan giants are set to act and bring in a new signing.
It doesn’t seem to be a problem that has troubled coach Ernesto Valverde this season, as ultimately his side have conceded just 13 goals in 29 La Liga games, giving them the best defensive record in the league.
SEE MORE: Lionel Messi eager to see Barcelona secure transfer of £23M Chelsea star
However, beyond Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique, an inexperienced Yerry Mina and often-injured stalwart Thomas Vermaelen offer cover and for a club targeting major honours year in and year out, that doesn’t particularly build a lot of confidence.
While it hasn’t been a problem this year it seems, if the first-choice pairing were to be absent through injury or suspension for a prolonged period of time moving forward, Valverde will surely want more quality at his disposal to cover.
According to Don Balon, as re-reported by The Express, it looks as though Messi has been informed about some key transfer news as it’s claimed that he told the squad before Sunday’s win over Athletic Bilbao that the club are close to signing David Alaba from Bayern Munich, dealing a major blow to rivals Real Madrid who have also been heavily linked with the Austrian international, as per the report.
The timing of such an announcement seems a little strange in truth, as the last thing that the Barcelona squad would be thinking about ahead of a game is transfer news.
Nevertheless, that is what is claimed, and if the report is accurate in that Alaba is edging closer to the Nou Camp, then that would be a very sensible signing for Barca.
The 25-year-old has already racked up almost 300 appearances for Bayern’s senior side, winning six Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy among many others since 2009.
Clearly, he has the winning mentality needed to success at Barcelona, while his technical quality and versatility would make him an important addition as he can play in central defence or at left back to cover Jordi Alba. Whether Messi told the squad or not, this could be a great signing.