A squad that looks almost exactly the same as the same squad that was recently called the best team ever…not just of the last decade, but ever. A team that effectively ended the dominance of the biggest club in European history. A club that houses the biggest name in world soccer. Barcelona should be the ultimate destination for every single person associated with football in the world…but, for some reason, they cannot find a defender to restore defensive parity to FCB.

Why is it so tough for Barcelona to get defenders to come to the Camp Nou?

The typical defender does not see themselves as a fit for what Barcelona typically wants from their defenders. That much time on the ball and not typically being told to clear the ball in adverse situations is something that most defenders shy away from. That’s typically why most of the stand out defenders for Barcelona have been grown from within. Players that have learned the tiki-taka philosophy and that is all they know.

However, there are a few defenders that FCB have seen as able to quickly slot in. Chelsea’s David Luiz has almost transformed himself as a deep-lying central midfielder but he would make a great passing defender for Barcelona. FCB have already tried to turn a defensive midfielder into a defender with Javier Mascherano, but Luiz is built more like a defender than Mascherano and he is young enough to become a staple in the Barcelona defense for years and years.

Barcelona are also in pursuit of Liverpool’s Daniel Agger. Agger may not have been on their radar before, but his ability to seamlessly slot himself into the pass-first philosophy that Liverpool have started has quickly rushed him up the Barcelona transfer ladder. Agger is a no-nonsense type central defender that will bring a hard-nosed attitude to Barcelona that Puyol only wishes he could have had. If Agger joins, he can definitely bring some mettle to the tiki-taka and I think he would be an awesome addition to FCB.

If Barcelona can shore up the defense, they might return to the top of the heap. Barcelona has enough attacking talent to still compete, but a retooled defense is exactly what the Spanish giants need. However, a whiff on this transfer window could mean another season of Champions League faltering because they won’t be able to keep big squads from pouring the goals in. One thing is for sure, Victor Valdes hopes that they get a new defender so that he stop looking so bad…come on Barca, help him out…