Can Araújo save them? El Clásico lesson pushes Barcelona towards the perfect signing for the cursed position!
Fierce competition from Real Madrid and Liverpool
Barcelona keep scouring the market for players across every position, and two criteria drive their interest: either the player is young with enormous potential, or he represents a genuine bargain.
Germany's Finn Jeltsch ticks the first box. At 20 years old, the centre-back boasts hugely promising potential.
Jeltsch currently turns out for Stuttgart, who are playing in the Champions League this season. That has alerted a host of major European clubs, Barcelona among them, according to the newspaper Sport.
The centre-back position: the cursed role
Finn Jeltsch ranks among the brightest young talents in German football, and Barcelona aren't alone in chasing him. Real Madrid and Liverpool have had the defender on their radar since the start of the season.
Jeltsch racked up 37 appearances for his current club last season, form that earned him a World Cup call-up with Germany, though he didn't feature in a single match.
Sport said: "That is why the 20-year-old would be an ideal option to strengthen the cursed position: the heart of Barcelona's defence, which still represents the weakest link in the Catalan side."
A strong start to the current campaign has sharpened the interest of Europe's heavyweights. Stuttgart, meanwhile, play much like Barcelona, pressing high and pushing their defensive line forward.
That approach carried them into the Champions League last season. This term they've banked seven points from a possible nine in the league phase of the competition.
Developing fast, Jeltsch has already become the leader of his side's back line. He's comfortable in possession too, strong on the ball at his feet with a sharp passing range and clever lateral movement.
Liquidity crisis: ideal attributes for Flick's defence
Sport, citing a report by the newspaper "Bild", highlighted two qualities in the young centre-back that fit perfectly with Hansi Flick's vision for his defence: his handling of open spaces and his positioning along the offside line.
The German coach knows the Bundesliga well. After studying the player, he gave the green light to pursue a potential signing, in principle during the summer transfer window.
Sources are already talking about the possibility of an offer to sign Jeltsch this winter, though such a move looks unlikely.
The Spanish newspaper continued: "According to Sports Illustrated, Stuttgart will demand more than 60 million euros to let go of the player, a figure that makes his move to the Spotify Camp Nou in the near term out of reach.
Joan Laporta and the club may have returned to the 1:1 financial rule, but Barcelona simply do not have the liquidity to complete a deal of this size in the winter window.
Will Araújo save them?
Real Madrid count the player among their targets too. Two seasons without a trophy have forced the Spanish giants to confront a defence that can no longer trade on memories, and neither Antonio Rüdiger nor Éder Militão offers the reassurance he once did.
Atlético Madrid and Arsenal also crop up on the list of interested clubs. Both, though, boast steadier and better-organised back lines, with no pressing need to strengthen.
Liverpool, under Andoni Iraola, are the latest to enter the running. That matters to Barcelona, because Yeltsch plays in the same position as Ronald Araújo, currently on loan to the English side from the Catalan club.
A move for the Uruguayan, and the triggering of his 55 million euro release clause, could therefore hinge on the future of the Stuttgart centre-back.
Yeltsch's future looks bright. His development across the season is worth watching closely, though Barcelona may well act to sign him before it plays out.
