Barcelona have confirmed the loan signing of Valencia defender Jeison Murillo until the end of the season.
Standard Sport reported earlier on Thursday morning that Barca were targeting Murillo as a temporary solution to their problems at centre-back while they hope to sign Ajax starlet Matthijs de Ligt in the summer.
Samuel Umtiti is currently sidelined with a knee problem and it is unclear when the France defender will be back in action, while Thomas Vermaelen picked up a calf injury in Sunday’s 5-0 win at Levante and will be out for around four weeks.
That left Barca with only two fit central defenders: Gerard Pique and summer signing Clement Lenglet.
That meant bringing in a player as cover in January was a priority, although with the wage bill at Camp Nou higher than any other club in Europe, money was tight for the blaugrana.
Barca confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Murillo, 26, has joined on loan for the rest of the 2018-19 season.
The Colombian international is 26 and has played previously in La Liga with Granada, while he had a three-year spell at Inter Milan before moving to Valencia.
Ajax's talented young defender De Ligt remains their top target, but the Dutch international will not be available until the summer as his club prepare for their Champions League last-16 tie with Real Madrid in the Champions League in February and March.
Barca want both De Ligt and his club colleague Frenkie de Jong in the summer, but will face fierce competition for both the defender and the midfielder from a number of Europe’s elite clubs.
The deal gives Barcelona the option to buy Murillo for €25million, which could also give them leverage in any potential negotiations with Ajax regarding De Ligt.
Barca have also considered Chelsea’s Denmark defender Andreas Christensen, who could also arrive in the summer if the Catalans cannot complete a deal for De Ligt.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press.
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