Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino on the hunt for new defenders

Martino heading a training session

River Plate president Daniel Passarella has confirmed that fellow country man and Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino will be looking to secure the services of a couple of defenders when the transfer window reopens in January and may not limit his choice to Eder Alvarez Balanta, Football Espana reports.

The 20-year-old River Plate player has caught the eye of Barcelona, who failed to sign David Luiz from Chelsea this summer.

Passarella expects the Spanish Champions to be on the lookout for a defender but is unsure if it will be for his team’s highly rated Colombian starlet.

“I spoke with Tata Martino for a moment, a very nice chat, and then he commented to me that in December Barcelona will be in need of defenders,” Passarella has told Ole today.

“He knows all the player. I said that we have very good players, but he never said ‘we want to buy Balanta’.

“Balanta is worth much and he will be worth more. If in the future the player could reach a valuation of €50m, of which there is great possibility of happening, then 90 per cent would tell you that €4m or €5m now is not good. So for this he would not be sold.”

Passarella paid a visit to Real Madrid and Florence this summer in order to settle the debts owed to his club by the two teams and spoke out about the money some top clubs owed River Plate.

“Did I solve any of those debts? No. Atletico have owed us for Falcao for the past four years, Monaco also. And we are the only club that does not complain nor brings FIFA into it.

“Between that and what corresponds on the moves for Higuain, Lamela and Demichelis and one more to be paid when [Monaco’s] Lucas Ocampos reached 30 games, we are due to take in between €6m and €7m.

“We have sent Atletico a letter, because we did not want them to think of any visit from me as a warning out of the blue. We sent it on Friday and expect an answer on Wednesday.”

The 60-year-old is believed to have secured permission from Real Madrid to play in next season’s Trofeo Bernabeu.