Why Barcelona should sign Theo Hernandez to improve their defensive options
According to Marca (h/t Evening Standard), La Liga giants Barcelona are interested in signing AC Milan star Theo Hernandez in the summer.
Hernandez, 22, was signed by Real Madrid after making it through Atletico Madrid’s youth ranks in the summer of 2018. In his one season with Los Blancos, he won four titles but was largely left out of the starting XI. He went on loan to Real Sociedad for regular game time and was permanently traded to Serie A giants Milan last summer.
Now in Italy, the young Frenchman has established himself as a key player of the squad and has been instrumental in his side’s effort to reach 7th position in the league. He has been a much better player for the Italian outfit than what he was in his previous campaigns in Spain. Thus, Barcelona should be wise to make a move for him.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have been inconsistent under both Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien. If not for the brilliance of their star forward Lionel Messi, the Blaugrana have would not made it to the top of the league table.
One of the chief reasons for their lacklustre performance is the shaky nature of their backline. The defensive unit has been poor this term, having already conceded 31 goals. Whereas, they let in only 36 goals throughout the previous campaign.
In central defence, Gerard Pique has not been up to the mark, with age catching up with the Spaniard. Samuel Umtiti has not been the same since he underwent surgery on his knee. On the left end of the backline, both Jordi Alba and Junior Firpo have failed to convince this season.
Therefore, to improve their defensive unit, the manager should look to bring in young faces to the squad to improve competition.
Hernandez has been in scintillating form for the Italian giants at both ends of the pitch. He has also contributed with 5 goals and 2 assists in the league this term and looks to be at his best. He already has enough experience in La Liga and would definitely be a boost to Setien’s squad as he can contribute in terms of goals too.
The former Real Madrid ace has developed into one of the finest modern left-backs in Serie A and is also just 22. He could be a valuable addition to Barcelona if he joins them. Given his qualities in the past six months, he could surely be a successor to Alba at left-back in the future.
Read more
- Why Barcelona should keep hold of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
- Why Barcelona should plot a move for Tanguy Ndombele
Verdict
With Alba ageing (31), the Catalans should bring in reinforcements to their backline. And the French youth international would undoubtedly provide them with depth and quality. Hence, Barcelona should make a move for the Frenchman in the summer.
