5 players Barcelona should have targetted in January

Shocking title, isn't it? Barcelona had a great January window, as they signed Philippe Coutinho for a club-record fee of £102 million plus £40 million in add-ons and Yerry Mina to strengthen their defence. So, it might not sound like a convincing title, right?

The truth is, Barcelona might be the most in-form team in Europe currently, but they are far from perfect. Just 7 months ago, people were talking about their demise, but the comeback they have made is extraordinary.

However, for a club that was being berated just a few months ago, one has to admit that there are still some gaps in the team. As a result, here are 5 players they should have targeted to fill those gaps.

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#5 Roberto Firmino

I just hope that Liverpool fans don’t crt me for this. They have all the right to be mad at Barcelona for signing their best player for the second time. Indeed, if you count Javier Mascherano, then it would be three players that Barcelona would have signed from Liverpool in the last decade.

Truth be told, though, Barcelona don’t have proper backup for striker Luis Suarez. While the Uruguayan is a great player and in good form, he is aging and has already gotten slower than before. Firmino, meanwhile, is one of the most underrated players in the league.

This is a man who has scored 19 goals and has made 10 assists in the 30 games that he has played in the Champions League and Premier League this season. The Brazilian is perhaps the most underrated player for his country, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t suit Barcelona.

Indeed, he has everything to be a hit at the Camp Nou.

#4 Mauro Icardi

Icardi has been targeted by Madrid

While it would have been very difficult to get Roberto Firmino due to his allegiance with Liverpool, Mauro Icardi would have been a much easier target to sign. After all, the Argentine has a €100 million release clause, which, as Barcelona have shown over the last two windows, is peanuts for them.

While Icardi might not have the passing ability of the Brazilian, the Inter hitman has a brilliant eye for goal. His off-the-ball movements would help Barcelona a lot, especially because of Lionel Messi’s imperial vision.

Also, the Argentine connection between Messi and Icardi would have given them an automatic chemistry. Icardi has scored 18 goals in 24 games this season, which makes him more than just a backup to Luis Suarez.

He would have been a challenger. Or, perhaps, even the first-choice after a few months.

#3 Jorginho

Jorginho is a pass-master

One of the things that Barcelona still miss is Xavi Hernandez’s ability to dictate the flow of the game from midfield. The Catalan legend was such an astute reader of the game and mover of the ball that he could control the entire 22 players on the pitch.

Ever since his departure, however, Barcelona have lacked a player like that. And why wouldn’t they? After all, there are no players like Xavi, however, there is someone who comes close, although he is quite far away from the level Xavi oozed in his peak.

Obviously, I am speaking of Jorginho. The Napoli man is a passing machine that can make over a 100 successful-passes-per-game with relative ease. Indeed, he holds the record of most successful passes in a European game with 180 accurate passes against Cagliari last season.

This season, too, he has made an average of 89.7 passes-per-game in Serie A. So, Barcelona would have done themselves a favour by signing him.

#2 N’Golo Kante

Kante is a midfield powerhouse

Every great team has or had a great holding midfielder. Real Madrid won back-to-back Champions League titles with Casemiro as the spine in midfield. Indeed, just looking at Barcelona under Pep Guardiola would give us a great indication as to how important a defensive midfielder is to a team.

Sergio Busquets was the best holding midfielder in the world at that time. However, he isn’t playing at that level anymore. Also, he doesn’t have a backup to his position at Barcelona, as a result, that is a spot of weakness at the Camp Nou.

This is why they should have attempted to sign N’Golo Kante from Chelsea. While it would have been a very difficult deal to pull off, they could have done it for a high price.

With Kante in midfield, they would have had a strong enforcer in midfield that can not only break plays of the opponents, but also play a role in Barcelona’s attack. They may have missed a trick here.

#1 Alvaro Odriozola

Odriozola is a very talented player

Barcelona only just signed Nelson Semedo last summer, so the point of signing another right-back doesn't really make sense at first glance. However, a deeper look will reveal the true reason for choosing Odriozola here.

Even after signing Nelson Semedo, Ernesto Valverde prefers Sergi Roberto at right-back instead of the Portuguese. While the Spaniard may be a good player on the right, he is still a midfielder and loves to play there.

As a result, Barcelona need another right-back to compete with Semedo. And the best option would have been Alvaro Odriozola. The Real Sociedad full-back is an incredibly talented player.

He might still be raw, but at Barcelona, he could have been refined while playing alongside some of the finest players in the world.