Barcelona are looking to sign a new left-sided central defender next summer, following Inigo Martinez’s move to Al-Nassr in August. However, it may not be possible for an established star to join due to the club’s well-documented financial woes, especially given that plans are in place for a Robert Lewandowski successor to be brought in too.
As far as low-cost options go, one that Barcelona have been linked with in recent weeks is Luiz Benedetti. The 19-year-old has impressed since breaking into the first team fold at Palmeiras, and this has led to the Catalan club scouting him on multiple occasions.
He is one of the options being considered by sporting director Deco, and according to MD, Palmeiras have now set an asking price of €15m to allow the defender to leave in 2026.
Barcelona are willing to pay €12m for Benedetti
One of the benefits of signing Benedetti is that he would likely be able to be registered as a Barca Atletic due to his age, meaning that Barcelona would not have the same concerns as they had with the likes of Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford this summer. They have money available to spend on transfer fees, and according to the report, they are prepared to submit an offer of €12m to Palmeiras.
Barcelona’s centre-back struggles so far this season have shown that they need a specialised left-sided option in 2026, and that is what they would get with Benedetti. However, he would still be a risky signing in that he has no experience of European football, although that could provide a baptism of fire for him.
It remains to be seen whether Barcelona make a serious attempt to sign Benedetti in 2026. A deal could be sought as early as the winter transfer window, given the Palmeiras’ season will be over by then.
