Barcelona Transfer News: 4 Centre-Backs Shortlisted in Latest Rumours

Barcelona have compiled a shortlist of four centre-back options to pursue, having also agreed a deal to sign Yerry Mina from Palmeiras next summer for €9 million.

That's according to Goal's Ben Hayward and Ignasi Oliva, who said Barca are eager to bring in other defensive reinforcements, potentially as early as January, and have listed Matthijs De Ligt, Dayot Upamecano, Kalidou Koulibaly and Stefan De Vrij among their targets.

The club are also said to be long-term admirers of Davinson Sanchez, but his capture "looks impossible" after he joined Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

Barcelona have started the season surprisingly well considering this summer's upheaval and have been robust at the back thus far:

Centre-back Samuel Umtiti has been one of Barca's top performers, but he's actually one of just a handful of players playing to the best of their ability, per football journalist Rafael Hernandez:

What's more, Thomas Vermaelen's form and fitness have been unreliable ever since his arrival at the Camp Nou, and Javier Mascherano is in the twilight years of his career at 33. Meanwhile, a long-term replacement for Gerard Pique will also need to be found in the coming years now that he's 30.

As such, it's wise of Barca to pursue further reinforcement and begin their preparations early, despite their strong position in La Liga.

Ajax defender De Ligt is said to be their "top target." The Dutchman is one of the finest young defensive talents in European football and only turned 18 in August, and he made 23 appearances for Ajax last year—including a starting berth in the UEFA Europa League final.

RB Leipzig's Upamecano is another young option, having just turned 19 last Friday. He's already impressing in the Bundesliga, and he also has the technical quality to play out from the back:

So too does Koulibaly, who has come a long way under Maurizio Sarri's tutelage and combines a mountainous physique and a deftness of touch.

His distribution is outstanding, per WhoScored.com:

De Vrij is perhaps not quite at his level, nor does he have the abundance of potential that De Ligt and Upamecano can boast, but he's a strong player in his own right.

Further, he's in the final year of his deal with Lazio, so he could be available cheaply in January or free next summer, and he would make a solid back-up to Pique and Umtiti.

Barca may well face competition for the talented players they're targeting, but it's a strong move giving themselves an array of options to pursue, which will allow them to be more flexible as they reinforce in other areas, too.