Over the last few years defense has been a major issue for Barcelona.

The formerly unbeatable squad has looked increasingly vulnerable with each passing year and many believe that without necessary chances, especially at the center back position, Barcelona will be unable to compete at the highest levels.

Part of the team's problems have come from the departure of former pillar Carles Puyol and the subsequent decline of Gerard Pique. Other believe that the drop off has been the result of a gameplan that is no longer as effective as it once was.

Regardless of the reasons for Barcelona's defensive woes, the team has done its best to address these issues in hopes of reclaiming its former glory. But has the summer really be as great as many think it has? And will the additions really make a world of difference for Blaugrana?

Since Puyol's decline, Barcelona has struggled to find an adequate center back to pair with Pique. Meanwhile, Pique has seemingly lost his discipline and awareness on the pitch. Some equate it to Puyol's absence while others feel that Pique has never been that good and that the ineffectiveness of tiki taka over the last few seasons has exposed his mediocrity.

Marc Bartra is seen as a potential center back of the future, but he is still young and has yet to prove himself at the highest level.

To address this issue, the team went out and signed Jeremy Mathieu. The Frenchman is 30 years old and has decent statistics overall. He makes over two interceptions per game and has made over six clearances per game over the last two seasons. For comparison, Pique has barely averaged more than two interceptions per game in his career and averages less than five clearances per game over the last few seasons. This should indicate some stronger presence from Mathieu on the back end.

However, his passing is far from the level of his new teammates. Mathieu averaged a passing success rate of 83 percent last season for a rejuvenated Valencia team, according to WhoScored.com. That, however, is far below the standard of passing for Barcelona. Pique has never had lower than an 86 percent passing success rate in his career while Bartra has completed 88 percent of his passes over the last two seasons.

At the age of 30, there are certainly questions about his age and durability. He would seem to be temporary solution to a major issue. How long will he play at his peak for? Or will he show signs of decline in his first year at the Camp Nou?

The team was obviously concerned about these issues and added Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgium international and former Arsenal captain is only 28 and has far better passing statistics than his new French teammate. He averaged a 90.8 percent passing success rate with Arsenal in 2013-14 while also providing an average of 5.6 clearances per game.

But his sample size was extremely small. He only played in 14 Premier League matches last year and seven of them were as a starter. He only played 21 games last year and has been notorious for struggling with injuries throughout his career. He played 29 Premier League games in 2012-13 and 2010-11 but he only managed five games in 2010-11. If he is used sparingly, he could be an asset to Barcelona. But there is always that risk that an injury could be imminent.

Aside from those two additions on defense Barcelona really did not make many. Javier Mascherano could still be called upon to make contributions at the back, but that experiment has never been successful.

More additions could be on the way, but, at this point, it is really hard to determine just how much better Barcelona's defense is.

Do you think that Barcelona's defense is better this season? Let us know in your comments in the section below.

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