The brass at Barcelona are considering a move for Athletic Club star Aymeric Laporte before the summer transfer window slams shut. This development comes hot on the heels of Ronald Araujo’s imminent departure from Catalonia’s capital.
Barcelona consider Aymeric Laporte as Ronald Araújo replacement
The situation at the heart of Hansi Flick’s Blaugrana backline has taken a sudden and unexpected shift over the past 24 hours.
After Premier League giants Liverpool approached their Camp Nou counterparts regarding a deal for the Uruguayan defender, Deco and his team opened the door to a loan move. Araújo is now widely expected to spend the upcoming season at Anfield.
El Barça piensa en Laporte como sustituto de Araujo
Deco estudiando ya la operación
¿Os acordáis cuando avanzamos ese ofrecimiento, el dÃa del España-Francia?
Pues eso
— VÃctor Navarro (@victor_nahe) August 8, 2026
This sudden departure leaves Barcelona alarmingly short on options in central defence. Flick currently has Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, the injury-prone Andreas Christensen, and academy graduate Alvaro Cortes at his disposal.
Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde remain options, but both appear to have been converted to full-time full-backs.
It comes as little surprise, then, that the Blaugrana board have kickstarted a fresh search for central defenders.
According to Barca insider VÃctor Navarro, Deco already has an early frontrunner in mind: “Barça are considering Laporte as Araujo’s replacement. Deco is already studying the operation”.
Laporte, currently on Athletic Club’s books, formed a brilliant partnership with Pau Cubarsà en route to Spain’s World Cup triumph this summer.
The 32-year-old left-footed centre-back would bring vast experience and composure on the ball qualities that would complement Cubarsi perfectly in Flick’s system.
However, any deal faces significant hurdles. Athletic Club have slapped a staggering €80 million valuation on the Spanish international, a clear signal they have no intention of selling on the cheap.
Relations between the two clubs remain strained following the Nico Williams transfer saga in recent years.
While Laporte is reportedly keen on a move to Barcelona, agreeing terms with Athletic presents a formidable challenge. Unless something extraordinary happens, a deal this summer appears unlikely.
