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Barcelona had a largely forgettable outing in the 2021-22 season. They went trophyless and finished second in La Liga, 13 points behind champions Real Madrid. They sacked manager Ronald Koeman halfway through the season and replaced him with another former player, Xavi Hernandez.
Barcelona are navigating a financial crisis but have somehow managed to make some incredible signings this summer. They have bolstered their squad considerably and have definitely made a statement of intent this summer.
Their activity in the ongoing transfer window is reflective of their ambitions and the Catalans are raring to mount a challenge on all fronts next term. Their arch-rivals Real Madrid won the La Liga title and the Champions League title this past season and were threatening to further the gap between the two sides.
However, the Catalan giants have enough quality personnel on their roster to ensure that the gap can be closed. Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Barcelona can win the La Liga title next season.
#5 Barcelona have a formidable backline now
Ronald Araujo is certain to become a fixture in Barcelona's backline for years to come. He was their most dependable centre-back in the 2021-22 season. With Gerard Pique entering the twilight of his career, it was necessary for manager Xavi to find a good long-term partner for Araujo.
They've signed Andreas Christensen from Chelsea on a free transfer. Eric Garcia could continue to improve and be a worthy deputy to the duo. Sergino Dest is likely to be their first-choice right-back while Jordi Alba will continue to start down the left wing.
Barca are also being heavily linked with Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso. If they can rope in both players, their backline will become even more formidable.
#4 Well-balanced midfield
It remains to be seen whether or not Barcelona will be able to keep Frenkie de Jong beyond this summer. Practically, it looks impossible due to their financial problems. As such, we'll just leave him out of the discussion for now.
Despite that, Barca have a very well-balanced midfield heading into the 2022-23 season. Pedri and Gavi have shown us that despite being teenagers, they are two of the most promising and talented central midfielders in the world.
New signing Franck Kessie is one of the best holding midfielders in Europe. It'll be interesting to see how Xavi uses the Ivory Coast international but he is certain to have a major impact for the Catalans this term.
Sergio Busquets is not at the peak of his powers anymore but is still one of the best deep-lying playmakers in La Liga. His experience and technical ability will lend a great deal of balance to this fledgling midfield.
#3 They have a proven goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona struggled to find goals in the first half of the 2021-22 season in the absence of an out-and-out striker. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's arrival in January solved that problem to an extent. But the Blaugrana have now received a major upgrade after signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich.
The Catalans have agreed a deal to sign the Polish striker and he will join their ranks soon. Lewandowski won the European Golden Shoe for a second successive season last term, scoring 35 goals in the Bundesliga. He is in the form of his life and is expected to run riot in La Liga next term.
#2 Incredible attacking depth
It's impossible to look at Barcelona's attacking department and not be awestruck right now. They've added Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski to an attack that already has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay and Ousmane Dembele.
Dembele was the top assist provider (13) in La Liga last term despite making just 21 appearances. Torres and Aubameyang showed plenty of promise in the second half of the 2021-22 season, with the latter scoring 13 goals across competitions after moving to Camp Nou in January. Fati and Depay can be menacing when they're on song.
No other team in Europe has as many top quality attackers in their squad as Barca do right now.
#1 Xavi Hernandez's project has already shown plenty of promise
Barcelona huffed and puffed in the closing stages of the 2021-22 season but they did have a very good phase after Xavi Hernandez took over where they looked utterly dominant. They even thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu during that spell.
Between February and March earlier this year, Xavi's side beat Atletico Madrid 4-2, Valencia 4-1, Napoli 4-2, Athletic Club 4-0 and Real Madrid 4-0. They looked like a well-drilled, cohesive unit during this phase and it showed that Xavi is a man with a plan.
With a proper pre-season and a much stronger squad at his disposal, it will be very interesting to see what Xavi will be able to accomplish in the upcoming campaign. They certainly look capable of giving Real Madrid a run for their money.
