Injury crisis forces Barcelona to make January transfer bid for Chelsea star

Image result for andreas christensen

Barcelona are struggling with an injury crisis as the absence of several key defenders could force them to make a move during January’s transfer window.

The La Liga leaders have been rocked by injuries to the influential Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen, while Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo are also side-lined, leaving manager Ernesto Valverde short of options at the back.

According to The Guardian, Barca are looking to sign a new central defender and have made a bid for Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen. The 22-year-old has struggled to nail down a place in Maurizio Sarri’s first-team plans this season as he has mainly been limited to appearances in the Europa League and EFL Cup.

Image result for andreas christensen

Sarri has made a point of playing a second string team in the cup competitions to rest his best players for league action this season and Christensen has played just one Premier League game, the 2-1 defeat to Wolves earlier this month.

Christensen has been with Chelsea since signing for the Blues from Brondby as a 15-year-old in 2012, making his Premier League debut in 2014. The Dane spent two seasons on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach before forcing his way into the Chelsea reckoning under Antonio Conte during a 2017/18 campaign that saw him make 27 league appearances.

Christensen’s development has stalled under Conte’s replacement, Sarri, though and he would surely jump at the opportunity to move to Barcelona.

Image result for andreas christensen

The Spanish side are three points clear at the top of La Liga and have looked impressive in general, albeit they have only kept eight clean sheets in 25 games in all competitions during this campaign.

Their defensive worries were compounded by the struggles of Umtiti, who has had issues with a knee injury  he picked up in the 2-1 defeat to Leganes in September, and there were further concerns as Vermaelen was forced off during the 5-0 win over Levante on Sunday, with the 33-year-old suffering a torn calf muscle that will rule him out for four weeks.

Image result for andreas christensen

Vermaelen had only recent returned from a hamstring injury and it seems unlikely that his contract, which expires in the summer, will be extended as fitness problems have plagued his time with the Catalan giants.

In contrast, the younger Christensen appears to be an ideal addition as he would be a player for the future and it is a move that would suit all parties.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *