European champions FC Barcelona are set to add 77 new players across the club’s various ranks after their FIFA transfer ban was lifted on the fourth of January.The Catalan giants were banned from signing new players in the two previous transfer windows, the January 2015 and the Summer of 2015, after breaching numerous violations of FIFA’s youth transfer regulations.
The list includes all the players signed by Barcelona to bolster their squad with Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal being the most high profile names in it.
The list has five new signings for Barcelona B, who are currently in Spain’s third division, former Osasuna goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta, ex-Sevilla B left-back Moi Delgado, Cornella midfielder Xemi, Dani Romera from Almeria and 19-year-old Brazilian Robert Gonclaves who was signed on a loan deal from Fluminese with an option to make it permanent at the end of the season for €9 million.
South Korean star Lee Seung-woo, one of the players whose attempted transfer led to Barca’s ban, will have to wait till January 6th to officially sign with the club when he turns 18. Daniel Gudjohnsen, son of former Chelsea star Eidur Gudjohnsen, will join Barca’s Benjamin B side having formerly played for the youth side of Catalan club Gava.
Turan and Vidal set to make their debut
The embargo was originally handed to Barcelona in April 2014, but was then temporarily lifted following an appeal, allowing Barcelona to complete the signing of players like Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Jeremy Mathieu, Thomas Vermaelen and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in the summer of that year.
The availability of Turan and Vidal for Barca’s Copa Del Rey tie against Espanyol will come as a huge relief to Luis Enrique as he looks for depth within the squad.
Defender Vidal, who is touted to replace Dani Alves in the future, signed from Sevilla for £13m and will wear kit number 22 while Turan who signed from Atletico Madrid for £26m will take up number 7 for the Blaugrana.
Enrique, meanwhile, is still expected to sign at least one more star during the current window, with former Manchester City midfielder Denis Suarez and Celta Vigo forward Nolito among the candidates that are expected to make a move to the Nou Camp.
