FC Barcelona holds talks with Real Betis over defender Natan

FC Barcelona has opened exploratory talks with Real Betis about signing Brazilian center-back Natan, a move that would address one of the club’s most pressing needs heading into the final stretch of the summer transfer window.

Barcelona sporting director Deco held meetings with Natan’s agent, André Cury, to gauge the feasibility of a deal. The conversations revealed a detail that should make Barça fans cautiously optimistic: Natan has reportedly told intermediaries he would only consider leaving Betis for the Catalan club.

The price gap

Real Betis has reportedly set an asking price between €30 million and €45 million for the 25-year-old defender. That range sits meaningfully above Natan’s estimated market valuation of roughly €25 million according to Transfermarkt.

Betis has reason to hold firm. The Seville-based club only exercised a €9 million buy option from Napoli in June 2025 to make Natan’s move permanent. Selling him for even the lower end of that asking range would represent more than a threefold return on investment in just over a year.

The 1.88-meter, left-footed center-back delivered a quietly impressive 2025-26 campaign for Betis, featuring in 45 matches and logging approximately 3,755 minutes. One assist across that stretch does not exactly scream attacking threat, but Barcelona is not shopping for goals from the back line.

His contract with Betis runs until June 2030, which gives the selling club substantial leverage.

Why Barcelona needs a center-back

The pursuit of Natan traces directly back to a significant departure from Camp Nou. Ronald Araújo, Barcelona’s Uruguayan defensive rock, left on loan to Liverpool, creating a gap in the squad that the club has been actively trying to fill this summer.

Natan’s left-footedness is particularly appealing. Barcelona’s possession-heavy system under Hansi Flick places a premium on left-footed center-backs who can play out from the back with natural passing angles on the left side of a defensive pairing.

Interest from Newcastle, Juventus, and Manchester City has been reported. Still, Natan’s stated preference for Barcelona over all other destinations could neutralize some of that competition, at least from the player’s side of the equation.

Natan’s public stance complicates the timeline

For all the behind-the-scenes discussions, Natan himself has publicly pumped the brakes. As of mid-to-late August 2026, the Brazilian reaffirmed his commitment to Betis, stating that he is happy and fulfilled at the club.

No formal offer from Barcelona has been made public. The discussions remain at the exploratory stage, meaning Deco and the Barcelona hierarchy are still assessing whether the financial commitment required matches their overall budget and priorities for the window.

Natan arrived at Betis on loan in August 2024, earned a permanent deal worth €9 million the following summer, and became an undisputed starter in the 2025-26 season, playing 45 matches. That progression from promising talent to established La Liga defender happened in roughly two years.

With the summer transfer window approaching its conclusion, Barcelona faces a familiar dilemma: pay a premium for a clearly identified target, or risk entering the season with insufficient depth at center-back. The gap between Betis’s asking price and Natan’s estimated market value suggests that any eventual deal would require creative structuring, perhaps involving add-ons, installment payments, or performance-based clauses that bridge the difference.

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