According to Sport, after nearly reaching an agreement to sign Gabriel Jesus, Barcelona's sporting director Deco has immediately shifted focus to reinforcing the defence. The club's priority in the final stages of the transfer window is to recruit a young, promising left-footed centre-back. Ruud Nijstad, the 18-year-old centre-back from Twente, is Deco's primary target.

As the transfer window enters its final phase, work at Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva has become increasingly urgent. Following the surprise completion of Gabriel Jesus's signing, Deco's sporting department has quickly adjusted its recruitment strategy. As Sport previously reported, Barcelona's priority in this final stage of the transfer window is to bring in a left-footed centre-back to strengthen the defence. The profile the club is seeking is clear: young, with significant development potential, and an economic package that complies with financial fair play requirements.

The need for a new centre-back has created a ripple effect throughout Barcelona's youth academy, most notably with the recent departure of young defender Álvaro Cortés. The young defender had trained with Flick during pre-season and harboured hopes of gradually establishing himself in the first team, but ultimately decided to leave days ago. With a vacant spot in the squad and a clear tactical need, Nijstad is now the name at the top of Deco's transfer list.

Deco is making a concerted effort to sign 18-year-old Dutch centre-back Nijstad from Twente. This is not a sudden interest triggered by the approaching deadline. Barcelona's technical department had previously received outstanding scouting reports on Nijstad, and several months ago, Deco and João Amaral even made two trips to the Netherlands to make contact with people close to the player, laying the groundwork for a potential deal.

Nijstad fits the profile of a modern centre-back required for Flick's high defensive line. Standing 1.95 metres tall with an excellent physical frame, he can execute clean left-footed passes from deep, is strong in aerial duels, and capable of carrying the ball forward and breaking opposition lines. In the Netherlands, Nijstad's development trajectory and playing style have been compared to players such as Dean Huijsen.

Barcelona has also made clear that the Nijstad pursuit is entirely separate from the club's recent signing of 16-year-old Mikael Bazzani. Bazzani's objective upon joining La Masia is simply to bolster the Juvenil B squad and continue his own development pathway.

However, securing Nijstad will not be straightforward. With only hours remaining until the transfer deadline, Twente is reluctant to part with such a highly-regarded young player at this stage. The club believes Nijstad still has room to develop in the Eredivisie. Head coach Joseph Oosting has also publicly stated that media speculation surrounding the player could unsettle a young talent like him.

What works in Barcelona's favour is the player's own ambition. Though Nijstad recently extended his contract until 2029, when discussing Barcelona in July, he directly expressed his desire. At that time, Nijstad said: "To be able to play for Barcelona and partner with Cubarsí as a centre-back, that would certainly be my ultimate goal."

Now, as the transfer deadline approaches, the challenge facing Deco is to turn Nijstad's ambition into reality before time runs out.

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