Barcelona's 2026 January Transfer Wishlist

The Catalans are in a strong position but fresh faces in January wouldn’t go amiss.

Barcelona’s dream targets are likely unaffordable—particularly during the season. / NurPhoto/IMAGO, Victor Metelskiy/Getty Images, Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images, Josh Lavallee/FIFA/Getty Images

Barcelona enter 2026 as the best team in Spain, but if they want to maintain that status and contend against the best European sides in the Champions League, boosting the quality of their squad during the January window should be a real consideration.

At this point, Barcelona’s disastrous financial situation is common knowledge. The club’s economic limitations have seen them complete just four permanent signings since Hansi Flick took over as manager in the summer of 2024.

There’s no question that Barcelona boast one of the strongest squads in the world when everybody is fit. The issue is that injuries have constantly compromised Flick’s side this term and further fitness problems—especially in key positions—could significantly hinder the club’s silverware hopes when we get to the business end of the season.

Flick admitted after Barcelona’s 2–0 win over Villarreal that he and sporting director Deco would have a conversation to assess the team’s strategy during the upcoming January transfer window.

If opportunities arise, then Barcelona should pounce at the chance of reinforcing specific areas of their squad during the first month of 2026.

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Elite Left Footed Center Back

Iñigo Martínez left a massive hole in the heart of Barcelona’s defense. / IMAGO/NurPhoto

Halfway through the 2025–26 season, Barcelona still haven’t found a way to fill the void left by Iñigo Martínez’s unforeseen departure to Al Nassr just weeks before the start of the campaign. Given Barcelona’s difficulty to register their players back in August, they opted against exploring the market for a center back replacement, trusting their in-house options instead.

Although it might have been the wise move financially, the heart of Barcelona’s defense glaringly stands out as the team’s biggest weakness this term. Martínez was the leader of Flick’s aggressive and bold defensive setup and no player has been able to replicate his quality since his departure.

To make matters worse, Ronald Araújo’s lapses in judgement remain constant, and he has been away from the club since November dealing with personal issues. Furthermore, Andreas Christensen partially tore his ACL before the final game of the year and is expected to miss four months of action.

Gerard Martín’s transformation from backup left back to starting center back has been one of the great stories of Barcelona’s season. Still, he remains a raw prospect getting to grips with his new role and his breakout also perfectly illustrates how thin Barcelona are at the position.

Recent events have Barcelona balancing on a knife's edge, as another center back injury could prove devastating. If the Catalans are to explore the market, then signing a center back must be the biggest priority.

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Key Targets

Alessandro Bastoni is one of the world’s best center backs. / IMAGO/Maciej Rogowski

Barcelona aren’t just linked with run of the mill defenders, some of the best center backs in the world have been placed firmly on the Catalans orbit.

Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni has long been a dream target for Barcelona, a player who would immediately become the team’s best defender and perfect replacement for Martínez. Barcelona have reportedly been in contact with the player’s entourage and his admiration for the club is evident—he showered praise on Lamine Yamal on social media and even recently liked comments linking him with a move to Barcelona.

Borussia Dortmund center back Nico Schlotterbeck is a similar target, a natural fit to place to the left of Pau Cubarsí. But both the German and Bastoni would likely merit an astronomical transfer fee, making it unrealistic for Barça to pursue them in January—that could change next summer.

What Barcelona need more than anything in January is defensive depth, so making a move for more under the radar talents such as Palmeiras’s Luiz Benedetti, who is blossoming into one of the most exciting young Brazilian defenders, could be a wiser investment.

But the best available option would be to recall Héctor Fort from what’s been a very successful loan spell at Elche. The La Masia graduate would offer cover at right back, allowing both Eric García and Jules Koundé to deputize at center back whenever Flick deems necessary.

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A Striker Alternative

Robert Lewandowski could be entering the final six months of his Barcelona career. / Judit Cartiel/Getty Images

Between Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski—Barcelona’s joint top goalscorers of 2025—Flick has two strong alternatives to lead the line for the rest of the season. But Lewandowski is entering the final six months of his contract with the club and he will turn 38 next summer.

The veteran Pole is deep into his final act among the European elite and he's already started showing signs of slowing down. Torres has grown leaps and bounds over the past year, but he is still an inconsistent striker and Flick has been hesitant to hand him the keys to the attack.

Therefore, Barcelona could be interested in jumping the line to sign a young striker with huge upside, potentially their striker of the future. It’s very unlikely that an attacker acquired in January plays a significant role the rest of the term, but Barcelona could lay the foundations of their future.

Lewandowski and Torres will remain the top two options, but there’s no hiding the fact that the striker position is a major priority for Barça in the upcoming windows.

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Key Targets

Karl Etta Eyong is having a breakout season with Levante. / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Whether it’s president Joan Laporta openly teasing a move for Erling Haaland in the past, or the incessant links to Julian Álvarez and more recently Harry Kane, it seems Barcelona are desperate to complete a marquee striker signing. Yet, it’s virtually impossible to envision such a move happening in January.

The club could instead focus on less flashy alternatives the likes of RB Salzburg’s 21-year-old striker Karim Konaté. A torn ACL saw Konaté miss the first 11-plus months of 2025, but his 33 career goals in 67 matches for Salzburg caught Barça’s eye in the past. The Catalans aren’t strangers to betting on young talents coming off long-term injuries, with exiting winger Roony Bardghji the latest example of that.

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Perhaps the most intriguing option is La Liga’s 2025–26 breakout star Karl Etta Eyong. The 22-year-old Cameroon international has every intention on finding his future home in January and has a €30 million ($34.6 million) release clause. However, given he’s already played for Levante and Valencia this term, his arrival to Barcelona would have to wait until the summer to comply with FIFA’s regulations.

A player that’s hardly been mentioned but undeniably has the potential of being Barcelona’s future striker is Moroccan gem Yassir Zabiri. The 20-year-old won the Golden Ball in the 2025 U-20 World Cup, scoring a brace in the final vs. Argentina to clinch Morocco’s glorious triumph in Chile.

Zabiri has four goals in his last four appearances for Famalicão in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, slowly earning a more prominent role. His talent is unquestionable and his potential sky-high, making him a very appealing target Barcelona should consider exploring in January.

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