5 changes Barcelona need to make before next season

Lionel Messi looks dejected after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie
Lionel Messi looks dejected after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie

#3 Invest cautiously in the transfer window

Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona are in heavy debt and one of the primary reasons has to be their profligacy in the transfer market. Barcelona spent heavily on the acquisitions of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann.

Frenkie De Jong was signed for €75 million and Paulinho was roped in for €40 million. None of these signings have really worked to the extent that they were expected to. A lot of the signings were simply not a good fit.

Barcelona need to be careful about spending money and they cannot afford to falter anymore. They need to bring in new players but they ought to do their homework and make wiser investments.

#2 Barcelona need to let Lionel Messi go

FC Barcelona v Deportivo Alavés - La Liga Santander
FC Barcelona v Deportivo Alavés - La Liga Santander

Lionel Messi is arguably the best player to have ever worn a Barcelona jersey. He has been a one-club man all his life. In an interesting turn of events, however, Lionel Messi informed the club last summer that he wanted to leave.

However, no club had the financial clout to sign him for the amount stipulated in his contract and he ended up staying at the club. The speculation over his future is rife and it is most definitely a distraction for the club as a whole.

Moreover, Lionel Messi's contract details were leaked recently and it is now clear to everyone that Barcelona will be much better off if they can get him off their payroll given the horrible state of their financial affairs.

It's not a relationship that is working anymore and it certainly is not financially viable for Barcelona to keep it going. The Blaugrana have been overreliant on Messi for a long time now and it's time for the club to choose a different path and not have the team built around any particular player.

#1 Back Ronald Koeman

FC Barcelona v Levante UD - La Liga Santander
FC Barcelona v Levante UD - La Liga Santander

Barcelona cannot keep changing managers and expect to have any sort of stability. Ronald Koeman's project has shown promise and he should be given time. He hasn't been able to bring in the players he wants so far due to a multitude of reasons.

Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien were not given time but Ronald Koeman ought to be. The club needs to back him in the transfer market and get him the personnel he needs.

They ought to start looking at long-term goals and treat the revival as a process. Success is not going to return at the snap of a finger. They need to restore stability at the top.

Players take time to adapt to the changes every time a new manager is brought in and if they keep changing managers, they will end up creating an environment that does not facilitate progress.

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