An up-and-coming member of the defensive ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona could be pushed into a first-team role over the weeks and months ahead.
This comes amid mounting calls for Álvaro Cortés to be afforded a chance to impress by Hansi Flick.
Barcelona’s options in central defence of course took a fresh blow this past weekend, upon Andreas Christensen being condemned to a long-term spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.
With Ronald Araújo also unavailable for competitive duties at present, the heart of the Blaugrana’s defence is therefore all of a sudden looking alarmingly bare.
With funds at a minimum ahead of the January transfer window, Hansi Flick and his staff could in turn be forced to look to the academy setup in Catalunya’s capital.
And when it comes to central defenders, one name stands out above all others…
Long touted as a first-team option in the making, Álvaro Cortés could now finally be afforded the chance to make the step up.
Barca Atlètic’s captain is a player boasting stellar qualities on and off the ball alike.
On top of as much, Cortés is from a physical standpoint more than ready to make the jump to senior football.
The 20-year-old is a ball-playing left-sided centre-back with tremendous upside, as evidenced by his regular appearances for Spain at youth level.
At a time when Barcelona’s backline needs a boost more than ever before, Cortés could well be the at-home answer for Hansi Flick and his staff.
Conor Laird – GSFN
