Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus... Frontrunner emerges in race for Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi

FC Barcelona, who are desperate to sign a centre-back next summer, are reportedly in pole position to sign Marcos Senesi.

As early as December 2025, Barca's summer transfer priority was revealed as the signing of a left-footed centre-back. Indeed, the Catalan club did not sign a replacement for Inigo Martinez last summer and are paying for it this season.The Blaugrana have therefore decided to recruit a player in that position next summer.

Numerous targets have already been identified, including Alessandro Bastoni, Pau Torres, Nico Schlotterbeck and Micky van de Ven. However, these options appear far too expensive for FC Barcelona, who had also positioned themselves for players out of contract next summer such as Marc Guehi, Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate.

Barca in pole position in the Senesi race

The Jonathan Tah pursuit last summer, which also came to nothing, should not be forgotten either. However, the current La Liga runners-up may have finally found their future centre-back to partner Pau Cubarsi.

Indeed, according to TeamTalk, Barca are in pole position to sign Marcos Senesi. The 28-year-old centre-back has already informed Bournemouth that he will leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The Argentine, who is a starter for the Cherries, has all the makings of a fine signing for the Blaugrana, having played 27 matches this season, including 25 starts in the Premier League.

Chelsea and Juventus also in the running

FC Barcelona have won over Marcos Senesi, who was on the radar of numerous other European clubs. Tottenham, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Sunderland have made contact with his entourage, while Chelsea have opened discussions with the defender. Beyond England, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Napoli have also positioned themselves in this race.

The Blaugrana were the first to act in this matter and their first proposal is in preparation. It is already proving to be "the most interesting" for the player's entourage, according to the British outlet.

A source told TeamTalk: "Marcos is attracting a lot of interest, but when Barcelona are interested, it is hard to ignore. He has not ruled anything out yet, but it must be said that Barca are a very tempting option." It now remains to be seen whether FC Barcelona can successfully finalise this deal and beat off significant competition.