According to a recent report by Italian news source Calcio Mercato, La Liga giants Barcelona are said to be lining up a bid in the region of €30m-€40m, in an attempt to acquire the services of Brazilian defender Luiz Felipe from Serie A side Lazio. The report suggests that the centre-half could command a fee reaching up to the €40m mark, even though Lazio acquired him from Brazilian lower league club Ituano for a price under a million Euros back in the summer of 2016.
It has been suggested that Lazio though are trying to keep him at the club with hopes of getting the Brazilian to extend his current contract with the side. The 23-year-old’s current tenure at the Serie A outfit runs until the end of the 2022 league season, meaning that his value is sure to deteriorate over the coming months gradually. It has also been claimed that Felipe’s current salary at Lazio earns him a little under a million pounds a year, which is well below the standard rate for a player of his quality and market value.
What Is Barcelona’s Current Defensive Situation?
Quite possibly the only ‘big’ European club with only three recognised centre-halves to choose from, it must be conceded that the need for defensive reinforcements at the Nou Camp right now is as high as it’s ever been. For all the quality that the Catalan side possesses across the various areas of the pitch, having just three natural defenders should simply be considered unacceptable. Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti are the three names that Quique Setien has to alternate between in domestic and European games.
Pique and Lenglet have been the preferred back-two so far this season, owing largely to Umtiti’s inconsistency as well as injury-prone nature. Worryingly though, Gerard Pique is 33 now and will be 34 before the end of the next league campaign. Asking a player of that age, especially in defence, to continue to perform at the highest level is far-fetched, even for one of the most celebrated Spanish defenders of the generation. The addition of a fourth option would only make the Barca system run smoother in the coming years.
What Would Luiz Felipe Add To This Barcelona Side?
The Brazilian is a tall and physically well-built centre-half who still has a lot of his career ahead of him. Currently only 23, Felipe tends to offer an extremely composed head at the back, often seen making timely interceptions and blocks that most other defenders wouldn’t even have noticed. The youngster isn’t afraid to put his body on the line for the sake of the team, and that could be one of his most important attributes to an ambitious club like Barcelona.
Capable of playing on either side of the back-two, the Lazio man has the right levels of energy and enthusiasm to be able to settle into life in the Nou Camp. While it will obviously be a massive step up from the Serie A to La Liga, the Brazilian’s defensive prowess makes him a good option.
Barcelona’s search for new players this season have been mostly limited to the front-line. If Quique Setien hopes to turn their fortunes around and secure a title next season, signing a new and reliable defender is an absolute necessity.
