Hansi Flick views Barcelona defender as defensive midfielder ahead of new season: Reports
Hansi Flick reportedly views Andreas Christensen as a defensive midfielder for his team as Barcelona continue to look for a solution in that position. The newly-appointed Barca manager has made it no secret which area of the pitch he wants to focus on this summer.
In an interview with Barca One (via Mundo Deportivo) earlier this month, Flick was quoted as saying:
"It's important to me that we have a defensive midfielder who also pays attention to closing down spaces for the opponent. When we defend, it's crucial that we work together as a compact unit. Having a defensive midfielder who can restrict the opponent's movements is also important to me."
That position has been a spot of bother ever since Sergio Busquets left Barcelona last year. They signed Oriol Romeu, but the 32-year-old continues to divide opinions within the fanbase.
To solve the problem of depth in defensive midfield, MD (via @BarcaUniversal on X), state that Flick wants Christensen to continue playing in defensive midfield. The Danish central defender would certainly meet the German manager's criteria of being a defense-oriented midfielder.
Moreover, the former Chelsea defender was made to play in that position towards the end of last season — on 15 occasions, to be precise. With the club having the likes of Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, and Eric Garcia in central defense, Christensen could be freed up to play further up the pitch.
Barcelona's Hansi Flick has more options in defensive midfield apart from Andreas Christensen
It's not like Barcelona are completely devoid of options in defensive midfield. They have a couple of youngsters coming from La Masia who can act as in-house solutions in that area for Hansi Flick.
According to a report from MD (via BarcaUniversal), Flick has been looking at the club's youngsters to fill in that position. The Blaugranas giving up their pursuit of Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder Mikel Merino could, hence, be linked to that.
Pablo Torre, Marc Benal, and Marc Casado are three names who recently impressed in Barca's 1-0 pre-season friendly win over UE Olot last week. Benal, standing at 1.91m, is just 17 years old and the left-footed midfielder will hope to make his senior debut next season.
Torre (21) and Casado (20) are the more experienced options. The former has already made 13 senior appearances since his €5 million move from Racing Santander in 2022. The latter, like Torre, is a smart passer and is good in tight spaces, but he has yet to make his senior debut since joining the club in 2016.