Barcelona Study LB Options: Filipe Luis, Nacho Monreal and Alberto Moreno

FC Barcelona are considering signing a backup left-back, according to tomorrow’s cover of Mundo Deportivo. In the summer, Barça sold Lucas Digne to Everton, planning to replace him with one of two youth players: Marc Cucurella or Juan Miranda. Miranda was in the end preferred over Cucurella, the latter being loaned out to Eibar. Still, Miranda plays for Barcelona B and recently admitted he was not ready to be a full-time of the first team yet. There are rumors that Ernesto Valverde does not fully trust the inexperienced Miranda.

Barcelona are looking at the market and tracking several options. Specifically, Filipe Luís (Atlético Madrid), Nacho Monreal (Arsenal), and Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) are the ones with contracts expiring soon that Barça is interested in, according to MD.

Theoretically, the Catalans could get one of these guys on the cheap this winter if their contract is set to expire.

However, such a move would call into question Barcelona’s strategy in the market. Digne was considered expendable because a young academy graduate could replace him, going back on the idea just months after could be considered poor planning.

Of course, perhaps they are merely assessing what their options are just in case they need to make a move. All sorts of names are floated in the press, and in the end, only a few end up wearing the blue-and-claret shirt of Barcelona.