Barcelona want to conclude double deal with talks expected to continue in January

Barcelona are shifting their focus to strengthening their defence next summer, after having signed Manchester City forward Ferran Torres ahead of the January transfer window. The cash-strapped club are looking for bargain deals and have identified two players from the Premier League that could bolster their back line.

The Catalan giants surprised everyone by agreeing to a £46.8 million deal to sign Torres, despite their not-so-secret financial troubles. They are now expected to begin the process of trying to offload first-team stars who are not in Xavi Hernandez's plans, in order to balance their books and slash their over-inflated wage bill.

Barcelona are looking at players reaching the end of their contracts, and have identified Chelsea duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen as potential targets to strengthen their defence next summer. The Blues pair have just over six months remaining on their contracts, and will be able to talk to clubs outside England when the January transfer window commences this weekend.

According to Sport, Barcelona have held talks with the representatives of Azpilicueta and Christensen, but conversations were reduced following the arrival of Xavi as the new head coach. The Spanish manager has identified other targets, but despite that the club is keen to continue its pursuit of the Chelsea duo.

Azpilicueta and Christensen are on different ends of their respective football careers. The former is in his final years, while the latter is only just 25 years old and has his full career ahead of him. Chelsea are keen to keep both the players at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer of 2022, but they have failed thus far to reach an agreement despite multiple offers put on the table.

Barcelona's interest is certainly playing a role in the renewal saga, with Christensen said to have informed the club that he will make a decision on his future once he assesses all the offers on the table during the January transfer window. Azpilicueta is also unlikely to renew before the winter transfer window commences, giving interested clubs a chance to put their offers forward.