Barcelona aims to extend Christensen’s contract despite serious injury

Barcelona enter the winter break with a four-point lead at the top of La Liga and plenty of reason for optimism. However, the weekend brought another serious blow to the team in the form of a long-term injury.

Danish defender Andreas Christensen has been diagnosed with a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that is expected to keep him out for around four months. Christensen also missed most of last season due to physical problems.

According to Cadena SER, the news has negatively affected the morale of the Barcelona dressing room. Christensen is considered a model professional and is highly respected by his teammates, which makes this blow all the more painful for the team.

He is the third long-term injury this season, after Gavit and Marc-André ter Stegen, while Ronald Araújo recently returned after a period of rest to reorganize mentally.

The same source also reports that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is in favour of a surprise decision to renew Christensen’s contract. Following the injury, Laporta is keen to offer him a one-year extension as a goodwill gesture. The 29-year-old is out of contract until the end of the season and has admitted he is unsure about his future.

Reports from the Catalan club had previously suggested that renewing Christensen was not in the club’s plans. While Laporta appears willing to back the idea, it remains unclear whether sporting director Deco shares the same view.

The former Chelsea man is now in his fourth season with the Blaugrana, having started 71 games and made 97 appearances in total. In his first season, Christensen was a mainstay of Barcelona’s defence but has struggled to find consistency since, partly due to injuries.