5 transfers Barcelona must make to remain LaLiga champions

2. Bayer Leverkusen CM Exequiel Palacios

Martín Zubimendi is the dream in the defensive midfield for Barcelona, but Real Sociedad - and the player himself — have heavily resisted an expensive transfer. It is unimaginable that La Real would sell one of their most valuable and beloved players in the winter to another LaLiga side competing for a Champions League position.

Options in the defensive midfield are scarce, so it's not easy to find realistic candidates who have the quality to start every match for Barça. Bayer Leverkusen have everything to play for this season and can legitimately push Bayern München for the Bundesliga title, as they recently showed the footballing world head-to-head.

However, if things unravel, Barcelona need to be ready to pounce. They should be monitoring Exequiel Palacios closely. The 25-year-old Argentinian international has been fantastic this season. He's always been a good player, but under Xabi Alonso in this high-octane system, Palacios has become an even bigger foundational piece as a distributor from deep and a protector of the defense.

Palacios even contributes directly to goals, with two goals and two assists apiece to start the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign. Further, he is averaging a jaw-dropping 4.5 combined tackles and interceptions per match. At any reasonable cost, he could be a world-class addition to the Barcelona midfield.