POLL: Who do you think should start in Barça's defense alongside Cubarsí?

FC Barcelona will suffer a very tough loss with Iñigo Martínez's departure. A departure that, yes, has a lot to contribute in the economic aspect for the lightening of the wage bill, but that will predictably subtract a lot in the sports section. We must not forget that Iñigo Martínez was one of the immovable players in Hansi Flick's starting eleven.

The player from Ondarroa is a left-footed defender, a rare characteristic in the culé squad. He is also a tactically very intelligent center-back, ideal for organizing the back line, effectively employing the offside tactic that the German coach likes so much, anticipating the opponent's actions and giving the Catalan team a clean exit from the back.

The '5' shared all these tasks with Pau Cubarsí. All this without neglecting the obvious: his qualities as a defensive wall, both in one-on-one on the ground and in aerial play. A true Kaiser in the rear.

Now, with the departure of the Basque player, the question arises: who should take that place in the defense? In principle, the two names that are emerging as candidates are Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo, players with different qualities, but who can adapt to the style of the German coach.

Strengths and weaknesses of Ronald Araujo in Barcelona's defense

In this sense, Ronald Araujo seems to have a slight advantage, recently named first culé captain and clearly to the liking of Hansi Flick, who on several occasions has praised the stellar conditions of the Uruguayan.

The player from Rivera stands out as a defender of the correcting type, a quality that he dominates thanks to the speed he is able to deploy in the open field. In turn, he possesses great physical strength, which makes him, in full condition, a guarantee of security in defense. An almost insurmountable wall, who does not mind constantly going to the individual duel.

However, on the occasions that he has had to be a center-back under Flick's direction, he has not been seen too refined in the implementation of the offside tactic. In addition, throughout his career, the exit with the ball controlled from behind has been one of his weak points, to the point that this has perhaps been the most questioned attribute in his adventure at Barcelona, a team that usually has defenders with a great foot.

Strengths and weaknesses of Andreas Christensen in Barcelona's defense

On the other hand, there is Andreas Christensen, a player different from Araujo in terms of tactics. The Dane has greater quality with the ball and can be an important resource to break passing lines, either with long deliveries or driving the ball towards the rival field.

Such is his ability with the sphere that he has even been used as a defensive midfielder. Added to this, he contributes in the attack when he joins in offensive positions, as he showed in the match against FC Seoul (3-7), where he took out an authentic whiplash to convert the 3-4.

Defensively, he is usually correct, although he is probably far from the physical conditions offered by other central defenders. Although Christensen is not a weak player, he can sometimes show a certain fragility that could be exploited by physically very strong forwards. Added to this, he is not a fast center-back, so he depends a lot on the effectiveness of his first defensive action. If he has to fall back, he will probably suffer.

The future in defense of the azulgrana club: open debate for the central position

In principle, despite their pros and cons, these are probably the two favorite options available in the squad to accompany Pau Cubarsí in the rear. It is understood that Eric García is more seen as an option for right back or midfielder, and Jules Koundé plays as a full-time right back.

With this in mind, which option would you choose to reinforce the azulgrana defensive line? The table is set for debate.