Manchester United, Juventus interested in €20 million-rated Barcelona defensive ace | OneFootball

Barcelona need to offload a player within the next ten days to free up salary space in order to make any moves to reinforce the squad.

While Ansu Fati was initially tipped to leave, he has refused to depart. As a result, all eyes are now on the centre-back position, where there is a clear surplus of players.

Barcelona have received offers for Eric Garcia, but his departure is ruled out. As a result, Andreas Christensen has started to emerge as an option to be offloaded.

The 28-year-old defender himself is said to be considering a departure amid concerns over a potential lack of game-time.

Manchester United, Juventus keen

Now, SPORT reports that Juventus and Manchester United have shown interest in Christensen, with the Serie A giants especially keen on acquiring a reliable central defender.

It must be remembered that Juventus had initially targeted another Barcelona defender, Ronald Araujo, but the Uruguayan refused to leave, instead opting for a contract renewal.

It has forced the Bianconeri to explore alternatives, with Christensen emerging as one. They are also considering Jean-Clair Todibo, who has not settled at West Ham United.

The Christensen option would likely be a loan with a non-mandatory purchase option, but the Danish international would need to be interested in such a move.

Attracting interest from England and Italy. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Manchester United, struggling with defensive issues, have also turned their attention to Christensen, though he is not currently their top priority.

The situation may evolve towards the end of the transfer window, as the Red Devils currently find it difficult to make signings unless they can offload players.

Christensen is seen as an attractive target, as he remains highly regarded in the Premier League following his time at Chelsea, despite his recent injury layoff of five months.

Christensen’s situation

The 28-year-old is contracted with Barcelona until 2026 and has repeatedly stated that his sole desire is to stay at the club. However, his situation has changed, and it is not out of the question that he could leave if the right offer comes along.

At Barcelona, there has been no pressure to force Christensen out, as the Blaugrana are satisfied with his professionalism.

However, they have given major hints about their plans for the centre-back department with Araujo’s recent renewal, Pau Cubarsi being on a long-term contract and Inigo Martinez’s deal set to be extended as well, while there has been no renewal offer for the Dane.

It will be up to the player to decide whether he opts to stay or leave and his potential exit could be the key for Barcelona to sign Marcus Rashford.