Barcelona continue to look at developing talent as their primary recruiting pool in the transfer market, and after selling Mikayil Faye this summer, they already have their eyes on another 20-year-old central defender. Recent reports in Catalonia have linked them with RB Salzburg’s Samson Baidoo.
Manchester City and Barcelona are cast as favourites for the defender, say Sport, but Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund are all thought to be watching the Austrian centre-back. Following the exits of Strahinja Pavlovlic and Oumar Solet, Baidoo is set to play an important role for Salzburg this season. He did not feature in Pepijn Lijnders Champions League debut, during which Salzburg fell 3-0 to Sparta Prague.
Like many modern central defenders, Baidoo is particularly confident on the ball, but at 190cm, is also an imposing phyiscal presence. He was capped by Austria in 2023, and has made 83 senior appearances at Salzburg and Liefering.
If those sides are interested in Baidoo, and are willing to make an offer, the Blaugrana could struggle to get a deal over the line. They will not be able to offer the same conditions as their Premier League competitors, however they have previously convinced players to take less money and sign for them. The problem may be the current stock in central defence. With Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi already there, Baidoo would have to be presented with a plan of progression.