Barcelona’s search for a new centre-back has been obvious for quite a
while, but the identity of the possible addition remains unknown.
The two names linked with Barcelona are Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and PSG’s Thiago Silva.
Hummels has been scouted by Barcelona for a long period of time and apparently there have already been talks between the clubs. Earlier this season, Hummels himself stated that Barcelona could be one of the clubs that could lure him away from Germany.
Thiago Silva then, was among Barcelona’s main targets last summer, but as the club failed to make a bid, the Brazilian went to PSG. Now with the transfer season approaching again, Barca have renewed their intrest and reportedly Silva is Tito Vilanova’s first option.
A lot of speculation has occured around this matter. Sources from Spain suggest that the board prefers Hummels, who could be available for around €25M, but Tito Vilanova sees the German as a similar player to Gerard Pique and prefers the 28-year-old Brazilian, Thiago Silva, who would probably cost around €40M.
The decision between the two players is something Barcelona must do quickly. There will surely be a lot of intrest towards these two defenders and to avoid what happened last summer – Barca being left without a center back – the club must be quick to act. The disagreement between the board and the coach is something that surely won’t make the process any easier.
Vilanova’s opinion about preferring Thiago Silva is somewhat understandable. The Brazilian is fast and a different type of player to Gerard Pique who still has Vilanova’s trust. Thiago Silva possesses all the qualities that a Barca defender needs. The problem with him, however, is that he’s no longer young and has suffered from many injuries. In the worse-case scenario, Barcelona would end up paying €40M for a man who’d only add to their injury problems. And to be quite honest, Silva has already reached his peak and is unlikely to be a long-term option for Barca whose defense is aging as it is.
Hummels
is a different matter. The 24-year-old is considered as one of the best
center backs in the world, and as a young player, he is yet to reach
his absolute peak. And despite his young age, he is already experienced.
And better yet, he already has experience of dealing with counter
attacking forces such as Portugal in the European Championships and Real
Madrid in the Champions League. And defending counter attacks is
exactly what you’re expected to do in Barcelona too. He might be a bit
similar to Pique though, which is basically the only reason for concern
of any kind.
Personally, I think that Barcelona should act quickly, and since Hummels is a quality player and seems more likely to move for a reasonable amount of cash, he is the man Barcelona should sign. Thiago Silva was an option last summer, but he shouldn’t be that anymore. Despite being an absolutely fantastic player, he isn’t a long-term leader for Barcelona, something that Mats Hummels could well be.
Hummels’ performances against Real Madrid are also something for Barcelona to look at, since the German, with his CB partner, managed to do what Barca have failed at this season; stop Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo. His ability to win headers is also something that would be highly appreciated in Barcelona, whose defense tends to be really vulnerable in set pieces.
Hummels is likely to move away from Dortmund this summer, and since Barca need a defender, they shouldn’t hesitate to make a move for the German. For the price of €25-30M, Hummels would be a bargain. And that’s a bargain that Barcelona should not let go of.
The two names linked with Barcelona are Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and PSG’s Thiago Silva.Hummels has been scouted by Barcelona for a long period of time and apparently there have already been talks between the clubs. Earlier this season, Hummels himself stated that Barcelona could be one of the clubs that could lure him away from Germany.
Thiago Silva then, was among Barcelona’s main targets last summer, but as the club failed to make a bid, the Brazilian went to PSG. Now with the transfer season approaching again, Barca have renewed their intrest and reportedly Silva is Tito Vilanova’s first option.
A lot of speculation has occured around this matter. Sources from Spain suggest that the board prefers Hummels, who could be available for around €25M, but Tito Vilanova sees the German as a similar player to Gerard Pique and prefers the 28-year-old Brazilian, Thiago Silva, who would probably cost around €40M.
The decision between the two players is something Barcelona must do quickly. There will surely be a lot of intrest towards these two defenders and to avoid what happened last summer – Barca being left without a center back – the club must be quick to act. The disagreement between the board and the coach is something that surely won’t make the process any easier.
Vilanova’s opinion about preferring Thiago Silva is somewhat understandable. The Brazilian is fast and a different type of player to Gerard Pique who still has Vilanova’s trust. Thiago Silva possesses all the qualities that a Barca defender needs. The problem with him, however, is that he’s no longer young and has suffered from many injuries. In the worse-case scenario, Barcelona would end up paying €40M for a man who’d only add to their injury problems. And to be quite honest, Silva has already reached his peak and is unlikely to be a long-term option for Barca whose defense is aging as it is.
Hummels
is a different matter. The 24-year-old is considered as one of the best
center backs in the world, and as a young player, he is yet to reach
his absolute peak. And despite his young age, he is already experienced.
And better yet, he already has experience of dealing with counter
attacking forces such as Portugal in the European Championships and Real
Madrid in the Champions League. And defending counter attacks is
exactly what you’re expected to do in Barcelona too. He might be a bit
similar to Pique though, which is basically the only reason for concern
of any kind.Personally, I think that Barcelona should act quickly, and since Hummels is a quality player and seems more likely to move for a reasonable amount of cash, he is the man Barcelona should sign. Thiago Silva was an option last summer, but he shouldn’t be that anymore. Despite being an absolutely fantastic player, he isn’t a long-term leader for Barcelona, something that Mats Hummels could well be.
Hummels’ performances against Real Madrid are also something for Barcelona to look at, since the German, with his CB partner, managed to do what Barca have failed at this season; stop Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo. His ability to win headers is also something that would be highly appreciated in Barcelona, whose defense tends to be really vulnerable in set pieces.
Hummels is likely to move away from Dortmund this summer, and since Barca need a defender, they shouldn’t hesitate to make a move for the German. For the price of €25-30M, Hummels would be a bargain. And that’s a bargain that Barcelona should not let go of.
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