Barcelona are reportedly weighing up a move for former defender Jorge Cuenca, who is currently on loan at Almeria from Villarreal.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are set to enter the market for a left-footed centre-back, with Samuel Umtiti set to be offloaded. With that in mind, the Blaugrana are considering re-signing Jorge Cuenca from Villarreal.
Jorge Cuenca has already endured quite a roller-coaster of a senior club footballing career, despite only being 21. Having arrived at Barcelona from Alcorcon in the summer of 2017, the young Spanish defender became a regular for Barcelona B and even made his first-team debut in the 2018/19 season.
However, the youngster was offloaded by the Catalan giants last summer after he failed to convince then-newly-appointed Ronald Koeman. Upon joining Villarreal from Barcelona last summer, Cuenca was immediately loaned out to second-division outfit Almeria, where he has been a regular at the back.
So far in the ongoing season, Cuenca has made 30 appearances for La Union, even chipping in with 3 goals, missing just a couple of Segunda Division games when available. His progress seems to have caught the attention of former club Barcelona, who are in the market for a left-footed centre-back.
Barcelona are preparing themselves for a gradual defensive overhaul, with Gerard Pique slowly approaching the end of his glittering career, while Samuel Umtiti is set to be deemed surplus to requirements following his frustrating spells on the sidelines coupled with the fact that he tends to blow hot and cold quite regularly.
While Pique’s long-term successor could be Eric Garcia, in order to replace Umtiti, Barcelona have drawn up a shortlist of candidates who are left-footed centre-backs. To that end, they are pondering a move for Alessio Romagnoli, while Lisandro Martinez has also been identified as a target.
In addition, Barcelona are also considering a summer swoop for Marcos Senesi, with a Bosman move for Aissa Mandi also being weighed up. The fifth name on Barcelona’s shortlist is Cuenca, with the Blaugrana retaining the option of buying the 21-year-old back from Villarreal.
Cuenca could also represent a low-money option for Barcelona, with Mandi the only target who will cost a lower sum, seeing as he is set to become a free agent. In addition, the Spanish defender could also initially be an able backup option for Koeman, a role that the rest of the candidates will not be happy to essay. With that being said, it remains to be seen if Barcelona do re-sign Cuenca, or end up making a move for someone else.
