An Analysis On What Barcelona’s Squad Needs.
After yesterday’s 3 all draw with Levante, all the fingers were pointed at one man. Ronald Koeman. And rightfully so. His substitutions and non-existent defensive tactics were at fault yet again.
But I’ve looked into Koeman already.
He should definitely go but I’ve said that before. However after the Levante game, people began to question the Barca players. Especially the defenders.
I have already highlighted how Barca’s squad could look next season.
However some performances have forced me to rethink this. In this article, I will highlight players in the squad who need to be sold, players who need to be loaned out and players who need to be put under close eye or stiff competition.
In the previous article my squad looked like this.
Goalkeepers:Marc Andre Ter Stegen,Inaki Pena,Arnau Tenas.
Defenders: Sergino Dest,Emerson Royal,Gerard Pique,Oscar Mingueza,Ronald Araujo,Eric Garcia,Clement Lenglet,Jordi Alba,Jose Gaya.
Midfielders:Sergio Busquets,Frenkie De Jong,Jandro Orellana, Riqui Puig,Pedri and Ilaix Moriba.
Attackers:Lionel Messi,Ansu Fati,Ousmane Dembele,Sergio Aguero,Francisco Trincao,Alex Collado.
However the performances of Ter Stegen,Pique and Lenglet in addition to the fact that someone like Busquets who despite good performances , Barca can afford to sell.
So who forms my ‘to-go’ list.
There are many players at Barca who can and should go. This includes the likes of Alba, Busquets and Pique despite their good performances. Why do I believe even the older players should leave? Well it’s simple.
Look at the best run club in the world , Bayern Munich. At Bayern Jerome Boateng(32) , Javi Martinez (32) and David Alaba (29) are all likely to leave the club this summer.
Boateng has been a fixture at the club for 9 years. Javi Martinez has been a major part of their success including the 2013 treble. David Alaba has been a fixture at the club for 9 yrs and with his level of physical and technical ability he could easily serve them at the highest level for another 6 years.
However, non of this players are being allowed to stay at the club. They are being allowed to leave in favor of the likes of Sule,Upamecano as Boateng replacements. Hernandez and Davies as Alaba replacements and Kimmich and Goretzka as Martinez replacements.
Three world class players already replaced. In fact at Bayern the only player they don’t have a replacement for from their team 5 years ago is Lewandowski and we can’t blame them as there’s a number 9 drought in Europe currently.
Anyway we start.
Neto Murara (32).
The Brazilian goalkeeper had performed decently well in Ter Stegen’s absence at the start of the season but it is no secret that no matter how good his own and how poor Ter Stegen’s form becomes, he’ll always be a backup.
At 32 he still is in his goalkeeping prime (26–35) and he could benefit from a move away from the Camp Nou. With Arsenal,Everton and Dortmund all potentially looking for goalkeepers he can attract suitors.
Suitors will also be encouraged to sign him due to his 10 million market valuation(according to transfermakt) and his 3 million a year contract.
Sergi Roberto (29)
Sergi Roberto,right back,left back,center back,right winger,central midfielder, defensive midfielder and nightmare of all Barcelona fan dreams.
29 year old Sergi Roberto is easier to sell than most. Many of the goals Barcelona concede come when Sergi Roberto is playing.
Why? Because he can’t defend attacks as well as Sergino Dest,Oscar Mingueza and Ronald Araujo do. Those 3 have been solid down that right side. Which is very important.
Football is statistically more left sided than right sided. Most teams attack with their left backs more than their right backs. Left wingers are more goal scoring than right wingers.
And Barca are the best proof of this. With many of their crosses coming from Alba. Defend poorly down the right and you concede more. The past month, most goals Barca have conceded have come from the right side with Sergi Roberto on the pitch.
Sergi Roberto is a jack of all trades and master of none. Defensively he’s a liability. Offensively he lacks the same level of ball carrying,energy and pace that Dest offers.
In midfield he can carry the ball at times, but nowhere near as effectively as Puig or De Jong. He can’t progress the ball as well as Busquets and for someone who spends so much time playing as a right back he doesn’t offer that extra defensive solidity as a central midfielder.
He’s essentially not helpful to Barca at all. He should be sold. However he earns 10 million a year and is valued at 25 million euros. He would not be willing to lower his salary and it would not be worth it to pay him as much.
Gerard Pique (34)
The 34 year old is a Barcelona legend and Barca’s most experienced defender. He can still offer something to Barca with his experience,leadership and composure but it is no secret that the defender has not done much to justify his presence in the team.
His performances in the Copa Del Rey seemed as if he had decided to roll back the years but it is no secret that the lad has not been consistently putting in high level performances since 2019.
Plus with Ronald Araujo,Oscar Mingueza,Eric Garcia and Arnau Comas plus the potential of signing Matthijs De Ligt, he’s already been replaced.
However selling him is a problem. He earns 13 million per year. He’s 34 and even though he’s only valued at 12 million, selling him would be difficult but key.
Clement Lenglet.
If you watch Clement Lenglet pass and carry the ball into midfield, you’d think he was a world class central midfielder lost at center back.
Which is true. The defender is so good at passing that you’d think Barcelona bought him for 100 million. But he has flaws. The lad is clumsy. Gets a lot of yellows and reds and makes unnecessary fouls.
He doesn’t know when to hold his position and when to press. Essentially for a defender his actual defensive play is laughable at best.
I actually like the Frenchman. I also believe at the right team with the right amount of indoctrination he’d serve Barcelona well. But he’s had too many chances to just be let slide.
While he is contracted to Barcelona until 2026 he can still attract suitors. He only earns 3 million a year and is valued at 25 million . Plus Man United could sign and transform him as they are in need of a left footed center back.
Jordi Alba(32)
Jordi Alba, offensively ,has been the best left back in the world this year and it is no secret that he can still serve any team. But his age and defensive decline plus the fact that Barca need a more defensively solid left back to match Dest and Emerson on the other side he has to go.
He’s not bound to get a lot of suitors at 32 with a market value of 25 million and a 9 million a year contract but his absence will not be felt as much.
Sergio Busquets(33).
This may come as a surprise. While Alba has been the best in the world this year it is no secret that he is replaceable. With the likes of Angelino,Tagliafico, Gaya,Lodi,Miranda and Bensebaini all available.
However finding a midfielder like Busquets is not easy. It is expected of a Barca midfielder to be capable of passing in between the lines at ease and all of Pedri,Moriba,De Jong,Puig,Nico Gonzalez and Jandro Orellana do that.
The likes of De Jong, Nico and Jandro also have a decent game reading ability. However, non of this players can match Busquets ability to control games. High volume short passing, knowing when to opt for a risk pass and a change of game pace is rare.
Jandro and Nico are closest but even if they are given a first team berth they can’t match it immediately. I’ve always believed Barca should fashion Frenkie De Jong for the role but that’s a story for later.
Puig could try to control games but it’s not really on the highest of his talents. There’s also Alena but despite his game controlling ability he is likely to be sold by Barca this year.
However despite this Barca will have to part with the maestro. Parting with him would force the Barca coaches to fashion another person for the role.
Busquets is a hard one to sell. A consistent theme with many of the world’s best teams is that they have someone to control games. This is an ability that either comes naturally or with experience. Rarely is it trained into a player.
At Barca it’s Busquets, at Real it’s Kroos and Modric, at Atletico it’s Koke, at Sevilla it’s Rakitic , at Sociedad it’s David Silva, Canales at Betis, Parejo at Villareal, Gundogan and Rodri at Man City and Tielemans at Leicester.
Add to that Jorginho at Chelsea, Hojberg at Spurs,Thiago at Liverpool, Xhaka at Arsenal, Phillips at Leeds, Eriksen at Inter, Ruiz at Napoli,Aranguiz at Leverkusen, Paredes and Verratti at PSG, Fabregas at Monaco, Aouar at Lyon, Pjanic at Barcelona , Bennacer at Milan.
Pjanic is likely to leave and while Barcelona could in theory sign Aouar,Ruiz, Tielemans,Bennacer and Phillips, it’s no secret that they won’t.
Barca have Jandro,Nico,Moriba,Puig,Pedri,Frenkie all of whom are not likely to leave the club. In addition to that they still have Pjanic alongside Busquets and Alena out on loan. These are all talented players which means before signing a replacement the board will try to make use of them.
Selling Busquets would be difficult. He earns 15 million a year. But even at 33 he’d serve many teams in Europe. Plus a market value of 10 million means his transfer fee won’t be high.
Now judging from what I’ve said it does not seem worth it to sell Busquets. But I back the point by saying they’d have to transition from him sooner rather than later.
Miralem Pjanic(31).
The 31 year old Bosnian is still a world class midfielder and he could still serve Barcelona at the highest level despite his age. But after 1 year where he didn’t play all too well and got very few chances, it is no secret that he should depart.
He could serve many teams much like Busquets. He has a lower salary at 7 million a year and with a market value of 28 million he would not be hard to sell.
Philippe Coutinho(28).
Record transfer yet a failure in all aspects it’s finally over for Philippe Coutinho at Barca. With Everton rumored to be lining up a 40 million bid for the Brazilian despite his 12 million a year salary and many other clubs capable of affording him, it’s no secret that his sale would not be difficult.
Whether it’s been as a 10 in a 4–2–3–1 , an interior in a 4–3–3 or a left winger Philippe Coutinho has failed to show the ball carrying,creativity and goal scoring that made Barcelona pay 180 million for his services.
His sale would make it easier for Barca to move on from the squad that led the failed treble charge.
Antoine Griezmann(30).
With 39 goals and assists this season, Antoine Griezmann has been a major part of Barca’s league title charge. But why do I believe that Barca could benefit more from keeping his French counterpart Ousmane Dembele.
Well it’s very simple. Ousmane is 24, he’s regained his fitness, he’s more involved in the play, he’s both footed, he’s a proper winger(something Barca haven’t had since Pedro) and once he works on his finishing he’s easily the best in the world in his position.
His runs,crosses,dribbles and passes are generally on point. He can be wasteful at times but a player of his profile would be more useful to Barca.
Another reason I believe Ousmane shouldn’t be sold over Griezmann yet is because the pain of selling him to Man United or Juventus and watch him tear up Europe would be too great for Barcelona. However Griezmann would not.
Also Griezmann is valued at 60 million. Even if they sell him for only 50 in addition to the money Barcelona we’ll make of the other players and the 40 they’ll make from Coutinho, Barca will have enough to sign Erling Haaland in 2022(if they don’t opt to convert one of the current players into a 9 or promote Peque.)
The funds that will be freed up by his 45 million salary would allow them to attract Matthijs De Ligt.
Martin Braithwaite(30).
Easier to sell than most, Martin Braithwaite has never looked solid enough to make the bench of Barca’s B team. A clear panic buy at 19 million euros it seems that they won’t even sell him for half the money they bought him for.
Valued at 9 million with a 600k a year wage bill means that his sale won’t be hard.
Samuel Umtiti(28).
The Frenchman has been a bit of a meme at Barcelona since the 17/18 campaign. He’s never recovered from his injury and he’s lost his slot to Clement Lenglet who is also going to lose his slot in the team.
He may still have it in him but after 3 non existent seasons it makes most sense to sell him. He has a 12 million a year contract but with a market value of 10 million it would not be difficult to get rid of him.
Junior Firpo(25).
The Spanish international had real potential when he was signed by Barca from Betis. But with Alba’s resurgence and his failure to show any reason why he should stay it’s no secret that he should leave.
Plus with his and Alba’s sale Barca could sign Gaya,Angelino or Grimaldo. He’s capable of reviving his career but after a second disappointing season it should be a priority to sell the former Betis man.
With a market value of 10 million it would not be difficult.
So how much would Barca make in transfer fees and wages?
Barca could make 225 million in transfer fees. 225 from the 12 players mention an average of 19 million a player would be virtually impossible but considering more and more people are willing to pay small transfer fees of 10 million or less it’s not that far fetched.
As for wages let’s see.
- Antione Griezmann - 46 million
- Sergio Busquets - 15 million
- Gerard Pique - 13 million
- Samuel Umtiti - 12 million
- Sergi Roberto - 10 million
- Jordi Alba - 9 million
- Philippe Coutinho - 9 million
- Neto Murara - 4 million
- Clement Lenglet - 3 million
- Junior Firpo - 1 million
- Miralem Pjanic - 7 million
- Martin Braithwate - 4 million
Note this is prior to recent wage deductions.
Which players should not be sold but are still at risk?
There are some players at Barcelona who should not be sold yet, but if they do not step up in the next 6 months will have to leave. Currently at Barcelona there’s 4 such players.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen(29).
Not surprising this. The 29 year old despite being ranked by Fifa as one of the 3 best keepers in the world in 2020 has been abysmal in recent weeks. He conceded 3 goals from an xg 1.33 against Levante yesterday.
Let’s not forget the multiple near post goals that he’s conceded all season. Whether the Barca defense is poor or not he’s not been innocent. 1 poor season should be enough for Barca to ditch him for Onana or Simon or Donnarumma.
He needs competition. Serious competition. Not someone like Neto or Cillesen who are both decent but very easy to outperform. Between 2017–2019 the only goalkeeper in the world better than Ter Stegen was Alisson.
But the 2016–2019 period had 1 major factor, Ter Stegen was pushing to start for Germany. With Manuel Neuer no longer in the same form he wanted to establish himself as Germany NO. 1.
However, since Neuer’s resurgence under Hansi Flick, that slot no longer exists. Which means Barca have to push him in another way. Tenas and Pena are good but since they haven’t been given a first team berth yet we can’t know whether they’re ready to challenge the German.
The pick for me should Ac Milan’s Donnarumma but we’ll get there later.
Ousmane Dembele.
A good amount of Barcelona fans are already willing to sell the player if it means the club can sign Haaland or De Ligt and the likes but I believe the lad to should stay.
He is Barca’s 3 rd top scorer in La Liga this year with 6 goals. He’s not hard the most remarkable season but this season for Ousmane has been about regaining fitness.
He has everything to become a world class winger and under the right coach he can work on his finishing and decision making. Pace,dribbling,shot power, ambidextrous dribbling,crossing and good movement.
However with the presence of Collado,Trincao,Fati,Konrad and Peque, he has to have a very good season next year or he will be sold. Selling him next year would also coincide with the signing of Erling Haaland whose release clause is active from next year on.
Francisco Trincao(21).
The 21 year old Portugese has as much potential as a Joao Felix or a Kai Havertz, and a lack of game time has been a major player in his poor season.
But it is no secret that even in his cameo appearances he has not impressed. Barca may have another Malcolm on their hands here and to prevent that he has to step it up majorly.
However with the form Collado is in I don’t see him being given an immediate second chance. A loan deal will be done quicker than ever. This is not bad for him. All he has to do is get 8,9 goals and 8,9 assists.
Seemingly low numbers but enough to warrant a move back to the Camp Nou only with more experience and marked improvement. That is not guaranteed but considering how youngsters benefit from game time at the highest level, why shouldn’t he. Loaning him to a team like Leipzig or Dortmund would be ideal or even Leicester.
Carles Alena(23).
The young lad is already on his 2nd January loan move in as many seasons. With the rise in midfielders at the club, he might not have a slot. Plus the fact that he is not as talented as many of them means that selling him wouldn’t pain Barca much.
However, I believe he should be given a chance. The 23 year old is not as energetic as Puig or Pedri but he has a good eye for a pass, is left footed, disciplined, capable of playing in a deeper role, capable of reading the game well and making interceptions.
He can perform a large number of roles in the midfield and it would benefit to develop them. But most importantly, he possesses the ability to control games through his high volume intelligent short passing.
With Busquets likely to depart Barcelona are in need of such a player. Alena currently is only one seemingly capable of playing that role. Barca could find another solution but at the moment non look better than Alena in that aspect.
Which players should and must be signed?
There are players Barcelona must strive to sign. Even if they only make a percentage of the 225 million since they won’t be going for Erling Haaland till next year they’ll have enough.
Goalkeepers
Option A : Mike Maignan(25).
The Frenchman has a market value of 25 million. Thankfully for Barcelona bar Inter and Arsenal, no team will be looking to sign a goalkeeper in the summer.
Spurs may chip in but Barca can out price all of them. Maignan is an elite shot stopper. He does fit the mold of the modern goalkeeper but his shot stopping skills are key. He is well on course for a 2nd straight golden glove.
Barca need a goalkeeper to challenge Ter Stegen. Maignan would be everything they need, especially considering they won’t be giving Tenas and Pena a run in the first team soon.
Option B : Gianluigi Donnarumma(22).
The cheaper option, signing Gianluigi Donnarumma on a free will be a steal for any club. Juve looking to sign him as the Buffon replacement. PSG looking to sign as the Navas replacement.
Donnarumma would be easier to acquire than Maignan however. They’re only competing with PSG and all Barcelona have to do is give him a contract as he’ll be a free agent in the summer.
He has everything Barcelona need in a goalkeeper and at 22 he’ll be improving as well as pushing Ter Stegen for the starting spot.
Option C : Unai Simon(24).
The Basque player is one of Spain’s higher rated goalkeepers. In the decline of David De Gea and Kepa Arizzabalaga, him and Robert Sanchez of Brighton (also 24) have established themselves as Spain’s main goalkeepers.(though Kepa has undergone a bit of a resurgence under Thomas Tuchel.)
However, my pick of the two youngsters is Unai Simon. Valued at 30 million, the goalkeeper would not cost a lot. The fact that he plays for a Spanish club is also a bonus.
While the last 23 year old Bilbao goalkeeper did not go on to have the best impact, it’s not wrong to try. Every signing is a gamble. The young man has attracted interest from Real Madrid and Arsenal.
Barcelona have made the mistake of not making the most of the talent within La Liga despite having a financial dominance over all the teams.
Take Bayern for example, the goalkeeper they signed to backup and replace Manuel Neuer is 25 yr old Alexander Nubel from Schalke. Neuer himself also came from Schalke.
They also house Pavard(Stuttgart),Sule(Hoffenheim),Kimmich(Leipzig), Goretzka(Schalke),Lewandowski(Dortmund). In fact all their main starters are either Germans(both signed from within the Bundesliga and outside), academy players and non-Germans signed from within the Bundesliga.
In fact the only non-Germans they signed from outside the Bundesliga are youngsters(people 25 and under) like Lucas Hernandez,Alphonso Davies, Kingsley Coman and Javi Martinez who was in his early 20s when they signed him.
The exceptions to the rule are Choupo Moting,Douglas Costa and Bouna Sarr.
I’m not saying Barcelona should have signed Rodri instead of De Jong but making use of your own league as feeder teams is generally always cheaper (except in the Prem where clubs want to ruin each others finances.) and more effective.
However let’s move on to the next signing.
Left Back.
Option A : Jose Gaya(26).
In my previous article I’d marked him as Jordi Alba’s backup to be replacement but here I believe he should be signed and Alba sold immediately.
Easily the best left back outside the La Liga top 4, the Valencia captain is from a long list of world class Valencia left backs. Take his replacement if he leaves Toni Lato(23), Gaya himself(26), Juan Bernat who was sold to Bayern before joining PSG where he has been one of the best left backs in the world (28) and finally Jordi Alba(who joined the Valencia academy from the Barcelona academy).
All of them graduated from the Valencia academy all of them went/could go on to be world class. Gaya would be perfect for Barcelona as well. Offensively effective and defensively solid unlike Alba.
Option B : Oleksandr Zinchenko(25).
As explained in the article above, Olek would solve a lot of problems for Barcelona. He’s not the strongest defensively but unlike Jordi Alba he’s not liable to mistakes.
He seems like a Sergi Roberto type. Jack of all trades, master of none. But oddly enough, he isn’t.
Unlike Sergi, in that left back role he’s a decent defender. Not liable to obvious mistakes, good under pressure and a very good crosser.In midfield, he can move well into wide areas and still play a similar role as he would at left back.
His passing is also on point as he sometimes stays deep to help in controlling possession,dictating play and building up attacks through intelligent movement of the ball in between the lines.
The Ukrainian is well on course to establishing himself as Pep Guardiola’s second Kimmich or Alaba. He’s consistently improving in multiple areas and has already established himself as a more useful part of Pep’s dugout.
In the past he was(to me at least) more of a meme. Unlike Foden who was clearly talented, Zinchenko seemed to be the odd type of youngster. He would do decently well in games against the bottom 8 where you win 5–0.
However he’d be useless against any team of actual substance. But in what was probably his best performance in a City shirt in both legs against PSG he proved that while he isn’t a sure starter he can offer something at the highest level.
He was pivotal for 2 of the 4 goals Man City scored. Maybe the KDB goal was more KDB’s work but is no secret that City’s buildup improved after he came on.
However, City have shown in the past that they’re willing to part with the Ukrainian captain. They may not be as willing. considering they’ll be reduce to 1 left back and they probably want to sell Mendy.
But it’s not impossible for them to sell him, plus at a market value of 20 million means that if Barca want him, they get him.
Option C : Alex Grimaldo(26).
Benfica’s La Masia graduate Alejandro ‘Alex’ Grimaldo is also an option. While his role is very much attacking and his defensive qualities are questionable, with him going into his prime he’s worth the bet.
Another La Masia left back like Alba, Grimaldo left Barca for the Portugese capital in 2015 after rumored altercations with then Barca and current Spain coach Luis Enrique.
Despite his performances, Enrique may not want to reconcile and give him a call-up, with Alba,Reguillon,Gaya and Bernat all capable but if he shines at one of the best teams in Spain he just might.
Plus with many of the sides that were looking into his signature bar Juventus, loaded in his position, Barcelona won’t have much competition. Benfica also have Nuno Tavares as a ready and quick replacement.
A market value of 22 million, he’d be easier to sign than most. A steal for what is arguably the best left back outside of Europe’s top 4 leagues.
Center back.
I don’t know how to say this but with Barca almost guaranteed to be getting on or even both of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay on a free. But with Aguero only short term and Depay not exclusively a 9 it means that Barca may still want to make a big money signing for a 9.
Haaland,Malen,Daka,Isak,Silva are all options. However I believe Barcelona should splash the big bucks on a marquee center back.
Most center backs in the modern day fit the Barcelona mold as coaches demand center backs to play the ball better and read and understand the game better.
A center back with leadership skills,reliability and the ability to carry a defense. It is no secret that the impact of the likes of Ruben Dias,Virgil Van Dijk and Thiago Silva has been key to all the champions league finalists.
Spurs even had both Alderwiereld and Vertonghen. I could also add that PSG had both Silva and Marquinhos. City still had Laporte on the bench. All these are center backs who are at their peak among the 10 best in the world.
Defense wins you titles, Sir Alex Ferguson once said. Barcelona need that center back. Gerard Pique could be that X factor in Barcelona’s defense. His performances were key in the 18/19 season where Barcelona almost won the treble.
But since then, the years have caught up to the man. His performances have been hot and cold and he should really leave as I said.
Eric Garcia in my opinion much like Ronald Araujo are the two main candidates but they’re clearly not their yet. As a partnership they could bring back the tall center back, short center back dynamic synonymous with Barcelona for the better part of 10 yrs.
Rafa Marquez/Gerard Pique with Carles Puyol/Javier Mascherano. Another factor is that they all complemented each other well.
- One was better at winning aerial duels, another was better at ground duels.
- One was better at using their physicality while the other depended on their ability to read and understand the game.
However the two are unproven and therefore do not fit the mold of center back I believe Barcelona should add to their defense. Plus I don’t believe they can marshal a defense on their own.
Option A : Jose Maria Gimenez(26).
Shocking choice,I don’t think so. Uruguayan, Jose Maria Gimenez, is better than all of Barcelona’s center backs currently. Going into his prime at 26 and definitely capable of playing at Barcelona he’d be a perfect signing.
Would he be willing to leave Atletico? Maybe not. But he has been linked with a move to Chelsea which means that the prospect of him leaving the Wanda is not that far-fetched.
Would Atletico be willing to sell? Definitely. In addition to the argument above, La Liga is not like the EPL. Bar Real Madrid and Barcelona, everybody can sell to every club unlike the Premier League where a deal between the big 6 clubs is impossible unless the player is a free agent or forces the move.
Him and Araujo would be the perfect Uruguayan combo. Plus at 26 he has enough experience to marshal the backline.
Option B : Matthijs De Ligt(22).
Matthijs De Ligt is probably Barca’s first option in the position. The club wanted to bring both him and De Jong to the club but his agent, Mino Raiola made it difficult. Due to Raiola having good relations with Juve he ended up going there.
Raiola is a bit of a problem for Barca. The Dutch-Italian agent has a lot of Dutch and Italian players under his wing and most high profile Serie A players.
Many rumored Barcelona current and former targets plus others who I personally believe Barcelona should target are under his agency.
- Attackers :- Erling Haaland,Hirving Lozano,Marcus Thuram,Moise Kean, Donyell Malen,Justin Kluivert
- Midfielders :- Marco Verrati,Paul Pogba,Ryan Gravenberch,Mohamed Ihattaren,
- Defenders :- Matthijs De Ligt, Stefan De Vrij,Alessio Romagnoli,
- Goalkeepers :- Donnarumma
These are mainly the ones I believe Barca could target but there’s also many other high profile young talents under his wing. The downside to Raiola is not necessarily inflating deals.
Not that it’s a good thing but every agent in the world inflates deals. It’s how they make many and the only reason they go into the agent business entirely. Barcelona have good relations with Jorge Mendes and he represents a decent number of their current and former players.
Raiola’s problem and the problem that makes him disliked by many clubs is that Raiola always looks to cause media controversy. He’ll speak ill about how the club is run or how they want to treat the player in question.
This is generally always inaccurate or half true at best. He’s also very bad to work with at contract negotiation tables. He sometimes overrides the players and clubs decision.
Barcelona,De Ligt and Ajax had already agreed a deal for him to join his close friend Frenkie De Jong at the Camp Nou. He hijacked the deal so that De Ligt could join Juventus.
De Ligt not only fits the Barcelona mold(as most Ajax players do.) he’s also the perfect foil for moving Frenkie De Jong into that deeper midfield role which would solve the Busquets replacement conundrum.
Even at his young age, he was Ajax captain(though mostly in Blind’s absence.) and a capable of marshaling his defense due to his great composure.
For a defender he’s also a massive goal threat and with him and Araujo as a partnership Barcelona could be terrifyingly effective from set pieces.
Option C : Milan Skriniar(26).
Skriniar is a talented center back. Not only does he have everything Barcelona needs he’d be more worthwhile than the other player Barcelona were looking to sign from Inter.
They’d only face competition from Spurs and with his 60 million valuation Barcelona could easily raise the money.
So what’s the cost?
The maximum amount Barcelona could spend from the targets above is 130 million. As I have specified Barcelona won’t be signing a big money striker till Erling Haaland’s release clause is active next year.
Plus with Aguero and Depay both likely to join on a free and Donnarumma free in the summer, the cost’s could drop. The problem lies at the fact that Juventus,Inter and Atletico would all prove hard to convince.
But as I’ve said that’s what Barcelona need, someone who can carry the defense. I would have added Laporte but he’s not likely to leave the winning project at City. He’s already collected 10 trophies and could make it 11.
Wages however won’t come as a problem. Most players are operating on cut salaries in this pandemic period. Plus even if they demand big salaries as shown by my ‘to go’ list above, Barcelona will have enough.
So what’s the final squad look like?
Goalkeepers: Marc Andre Ter Stegen,Gianluigi Donnarumma,Arnau Tenas.
Defenders: Sergino Dest,Emerson Royal,Matthijs De Ligt,Oscar Mingueza,Ronald Araujo,Eric Garcia,Jose Gaya,Juan Miranda.
Midfielders: Frenkie De Jong,Jandro Orellana, Nico Gonzalez, Riqui Puig,Pedri and Ilaix Moriba.
Attackers: Lionel Messi,Ansu Fati,Ousmane Dembele,Sergio Aguero,Francisco Trincao,Alex Collado,Konrad De La Fuente.
There’s pro’s and cons to this. While I do believe in De Ligt’s abilities to lead the back line, he’s still only 22. While I do believe in Donnarumma’s qualities it would mean losing out on Tenas and Pena(two very talented keepers.)
There’s no left footed center back but that’s not a major flaw. Chelsea and City have both reached the Champions League final without a left footed center back(as Laporte despite his undeniable quality has been benched a lot.)
While PSG and Bayern do have that left foot-right foot dynamic. It’s not compulsory. Frenkie is the most experience midfielder. Talented as he is he’s still growing as a player therefore that’s a con.
There’s also no one who’s good at controlling games from midfield but as I’ve said Barcelona will still face that problem considering they’re not signing any new midfielders. They’ll have to train someone into it. Puig? Maybe.
Keeping Ousmane of Griezmann seems like a con considering Antione has 40 goals and assists this season. But considering his age, the fact that he can’t be made the most out of unless Messi moves on and the fact that his goal output is not massively irreplaceable(12 league goals starting every game. Ousmane who’s missed entire months and come of the bench a lot has 6.) it’s not unwise to sell him.
Plus even if he won’t move to a team in La Liga, Juve would want him, Inter wouldn’t be against taking him,PSG as well.
Then there’s Trincao. A good number of Barcelona fans want him sold and I do agree he hasn’t been effective when he’s played but youngsters only improve when given chances. Trincao has got the potential.
If Barcelona make the most out of him they can have a high scoring, creative winger like Salah,Mane and even Bale and Mahrez to some extent. He’s still only 21, no point selling him when he’s barely even played.
As I highlighted though the main exit at Barcelona should be Ronald Koeman. He’s horrendous. His transfer ideas are limiting. Almost as if he wants to sign all the Dutchmen but no the ones Barca could actually make use of.
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