Valverde is delighted with Barça defenders Todibo and Araújo

The two games in Japan allowed Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde to take a proper look at Jean-Clair Todibo and Ronald Araújo and see that he can have confidence in them if needed. The coaches are delighted with the performances of the two young centre-backs and have translated to the club that they will use them depending on the needs of the team during the season.  

Barcelona missed out on Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt, who moveed to Juventus, and the club's idea was then to look at Todibo and Araujo closer. They weren't going to go to the market and sign for the sake of signing, like last season with Jeison Murillo, who joined on loan form Valencia.  

plans

Valverde is counting on Gerard Pique and French duo Clément Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti for the big games.

But what's happened in preseason has led him to believe that both Todibo and Araujo could have a bigger role to play throughout the campaign. Valverde is convinced that they will get minutes this season with Barça's first team. 

In fact, Todibo already has a first team numberr and in theory is the fourth centre-back, behind Umtiti, Lenglet and Piqué. As for rAraujo, the idea is that he will alternate between the first team and the B team, effectively becoming the fifth centre-back.