Barcelona to promote player: Valverde identifies Barca B defender

Barcelona to promote player from Barca B to fill the central defence, as the Catalan club faces a defensive crisis.

The Catalan club is facing a tough season at the moment. Barcelona are second in the league, with only 15 points from 8 matches. Ernesto Valverde’s side is winless in their last four La Liga games.

Barcelona were held to a draw in three of them, and faced a stunning defeat to the-then bottom-placed Leganes last month. The Catalan club, however, is benefitted from Real Madrid’s slump in form, who are currently fourth in the table with only 14 points.

Julen Lopetegui’s side is yet to score a goal in their last four games across all competitions.

Barcelona are also facing a defensive crisis, with two of their central defenders out with an injury. Samuel Umtiti is reported to be out for the rest of the year, while Thomas Vermaelen is confirmed to sit on sidelines for the next six weeks.

Gerard Pique’s form is a concern for the manager, while Clement Lenglet is yet to establish his place in the side. And now, Ernesto Valverde is set to promote a Barca B defender.

Barcelona to promote player:

According to Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are set to promote Barca B star Juan Brandariz ‘Chumi.’

According to the Spanish outlet, the 18-year-old defender has been compared to Marc Bartra when he was 14 years old. However, the defender believes he plays a lot like Raphael Varane.

Chumi has won the European Championship with the U-17 side, and Mundo Deportivo reports that he has been a star performer for the B side this season.

Last summer, Chumi extended his contract at Barcelona until 2020, with a release clause of a staggering 100 million euros. He was also a member of the squad for the pre-season tour earlier this season, and had a few minutes of football under first-team manager Ernesto Valverde.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Valverde’s decision to promote the player didn’t come as a surprise to Barcelona’s staff, as Chumi has been ‘magnificent’ for Barca B in this season.

What next?

Barcelona will take on league leaders Sevilla on Saturday night as they aim to bring their campaign back on track, and reclaim their position at the top of the table, before meeting arch-rivals Real Madrid next week.