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Yes, it's that time of the year again! We are talking about the ongoing football transfer season across the world. About 3 years ago, the Cules were celebrating. And why wouldn't they? They had just won the Treble for a record second time. They had the best squad in the world, or at least they thought so.
Fast forward to today, the same team hasn't reached the semifinals even once after 2015. So, this year, it's make or break for Barcelona. The 2018-19 season will decide whether they would still be counted as one of the elite clubs of the world or if they're just another AC Milan in the making. To add to their misery, they have lost Andres Iniesta and Paulinho who were a prominent part of the team. The goal is simple. They have to rebuild and they have to start now. Let's focus on the transfer business done by them in this window.
Players Brought in:
Below is the list of players brought by Barcelona in the current transfer market. The mentioned fees are taken from TransferMakret.
Malcom (41.00 Million Euros, G.Bordeaux, Forward)
This signing might just be the most unexpected yet, the most exciting of the season for Barcelona. The way the player was highjacked under the nose of AS Roma was controversial to an extent that Roma are considering a legal course of action. He adds a Brazilian flair to the attack and as of now, he has already scored a winning penalty for Barcelona against Spurs. However, he is still very raw and how he integrates into the team needs to be seen.
Arthur (31.00 Million Euros, Grêmio, Midfielder)
This signing might just bring the old Barca back. His playing style is quite similar to Xavi and we all know how big a void Xavi left when he moved to Qatar in 2015.
As his teammate Rafinha quotes "He reminds me... I don't like to make comparisons, but he has the touch of Xavi, the way that he touches the ball. He's a great, great signing for Barcelona".
Clément Lenglet (35.90 Million Euros, Sevilla FC, Defender)
Another great buy from Sevilla. Sevilla is slowly turning into a stepping stone for players to join Barcelona. He might not get entry into playing 11 directly, but he will prompt Gerrard Pique to be on his toes. His last season stats at Sevilla has been outstanding and he might turn out to be a great buy if he continues his current form.
Players that should leave
As of now, Barcelona has a long list of dead-woods at the club with Andre Gomes leading the list. He was supposed to be sold this summer, but those plans have taken a hit after he got injured in the first game of pre-season.
There are other fringe players like Rafinha, Vermaelen and Vidal whose futures are yet to be decided. According to Goal, Lucas Digne is set to join Everton for a reasonable fee around 25.00 Million Euros which would be good business.
Another player who might be leaving despite having a stellar world cup is Yerry Mina. Though he arrived at Barcelona only on this January at a price of 11.80 Million Euros, as per Marca, his transfer fee may reach up to 40 Million Euros with Manchester United joining the race for the Columbian. One might question why is he leaving after having a great world cup? The answer is simple. He is a good player, but he simply does not possess the attributes needed for a Barca defender.
Reports from England suggest that Ousmane Dembélé is unsettled at Barcelona and is considering his future away from Nou Camp. He should not be sold as he has shown that he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Though his last year was mainly all about injuries, this might just be his year to shine.
Players that Might arrive
Recently, Barca Manager Ernesto Valverde told in a press conference at Barcelona's official website
"It's true that we've had some big departures in midfield so it's likely that we will make more signings".
As per Manager's recent comments, it appears that Barcelona are not done in the market and that they are looking to strengthen the midfield. Several names are being linked as part of possible transfers. However, the rumors are mainly surfacing around Rabiot of PSG, De Jong of Ajax, Pjanic of Juventus. Pjanic might be the best option but it all depends on how much money Barca generates by selling players.
