Report: Barcelona want defensive reinforcements

Barcelona are reportedly looking to strengthen their defence when the January transfer window opens.

The Catalan outfit were unable to sign any new players in the summer due to their transfer ban, but the signatures of Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal were both secured, with the pair eligible to play from January 1.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, it is the defence that is high on Luis Enrique's priority list, with the Spaniard keen to freshen up his backline.

The same report claims that Athletic Bilbao's Aymeric Laporte and Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez are both in the frame, in addition to Everton's John Stones, who saw a reported summer move to Chelsea break down.

Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano are currently the first-choice centre-back pairing for the European champions.