Andreas Christensen has become a talked-about figure within the Barcelona camp for his consistent performances at the heart of the backline.
Formerly of Chelsea, the centre-back has successfully displaced Eric Garcia and has become Xavi’s first-choice central defensive option alongside Ronald Araujo. To that end, a recent report from Mundo Deportivo has offered some useful insights on his move to Barça and how it came to fruition in the first place.
The report reveals the role of Mateu Alemany in the transfer. Christensen, in fact, was the ‘personal bet’ of Barcelona’s director of football, who had followed the defender’s progress for a long time before eventually making a move in the summer.
Alemany gained additional information about Christensen through his Chelsea network including Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso. In addition, he contacted the Danish national team head coach to learn more about the player.
Ultimately, Barcelona made a move for Christensen early on in the summer, convincing the former Gladbach starlet to pen a four-year deal until 2026. The Dane has not disappointed either, creating a formidable defensive partnership alongside Araujo.
Christensen even produced one of his best performances as a Barcelona player during the game against Atletico Madrid, as he put a stop to the opponent’s attacking endeavours and helped his team keep a vital clean sheet.
As we head towards the second half of the campaign, one would expect Christensen to play a bigger role in the Barça defence, especially in the aftermath of Gerard Pique’s retirement from professional football.
At 26, Christensen is currently the most experienced centre-back for Barcelona, with 62 caps for the Danish national team and over 160 competitive appearances for Chelsea. He can thus become the ideal leader of the Barcelona backline in the years to come.