Barcelona Draw Up Four Alternatives to Ruud Nijstad for January Defence

What happened

Barcelona have drawn up a four-man shortlist of alternatives to their first-choice January defensive target, Ruud Nijstad, according to a report by Diario Sport cited by Get Spanish Football News. The club's board is said to have prepared the list so that Deco and his colleagues are ready for all potential scenarios once the year turns.

Report details

The move follows an injury-hit start to the season, with Barcelona described as working to reinforce the centre of Hansi Flick's defence for the second half of the campaign. Nijstad, an 18-year-old defender, currently plays in his home country of the Netherlands for FC Twente. The report states that Twente's financial demands are presently viewed as excessive by Barcelona's decision-makers for a player of such a young age, which prompted the search for alternatives.

The four names on the reported shortlist are Youri Baas of Ajax, Vitor Reis of Manchester City, Arthur Dias of Athletico Paranaense and Finn Jeltsch of Stuttgart. The source does not indicate any order of preference among them, nor does it state that any approach has been made. The reporting is attributed to Diario Sport via Get Spanish Football News and does not amount to official confirmation from Barcelona.