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FC Barcelona need to upgrade their squad urgently. The average age of the squad has been on the rise for some time now. It shows when they take on young and pacey teams.
For some time now, Barcelona have not been able to get past their Champions League woes in matches away from home. There have been many instances where they have been caught unawares in a counter-attack and were left unable to defend.
Of late, this shortcoming has surfaced on the domestic turf as well. You might say that Barcelona are leading the La Liga table at the moment. But the truth is that they are at the top of the table by the skin of their teeth. It is mostly thanks to the stumbles taken by their direct opponents than Barcelona producing impressive performances.
Moreover, there are concerns over the club's rising wage bills and the need for a quick overhaul. According to reports, Barca spends around 63% of their revenue on wages.
Football clubs in Europe are reeling under financial loss after being forced to shut shop for the last three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is little certainty on when things would be back to normal. Ticket sales, sponsorship, telecast rights - all the major areas of revenue have been hit.
The slump would affect the transfer window season too. Spain is one of the worst-hit economies in Europe, and FC Barcelona would find it very difficult to upgrade their squad in these trying financial times.
As bad as it looks, the solution to Barcelona's problem, though, is simple. The club need to stick to their key players and let go of the dead weight. Barcelona need to be sure of the players they bring in and redeem themselves from the seemingly hasty transfer decisions they have made in the past.
Barcelona squandered exorbitant amount of money on botched signings in the last few seasons. Philippe Coutinho is still in a limbo. After completing his term at Bayern Munich, where he is on loan, the Brazilian's future with either Barcelona or Bayern Munich is uncertain. Ousmane Dembélé is still fighting injuries on the sidelines while for all the hard work he may have put in, Antoine Greizmann is being wasted in a position where he is not used to playing.
It means, firstly, Barcelona would have to sell a few players even if it means incurring a loss, because their present wage expense is very high. Secondly, they should put more faith in their youngsters and promote players from their famed academy.
Players like Carles Alena, Riqui Puig, Alex Collado, Inaki Pena, etc. have been waiting at the doorstep of the senior team for almost too long. Also, it should be recalled that these academy graduates come free. Hence, no substantial financial outlay is required to promote them.
Furthermore, the wage demands of academy players would be less. And, they have already shown their patience and willingness to play for Barcelona. It is now up to the club to show some faith in their youngsters.
Thus, here are a few possible suggestions that Barcelona may look into for addressing the issues mentioned above.
A few ways Barcelona can upgrade their squad:
#1: Promoting Inaki Pena as the second keeper
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Barcelona's first keeper, has more than proved his mettle in keeping the net safe. Latest reports also suggest that he would be renewing his contract with the club.
There is, however, some doubt as far as Barcelona's back-up keeper is concerned. Brazilian Neto Murara was bought from Valencia at the end of last season for nearly € 30 million. While Neto is a capable back-up, he hasn't had much playing time.
Let's face it; it doesn't make sense to spend € 4 million per year on a back-up player who is barely used by the team. More so, when there is a more cost-efficient and younger pair of gloves available in Inaki Pena.
A La Masia product, Pena has excelled at the youth level and can be the perfect understudy to Ter Stegen. Even if his game-time is limited, working with an experienced player like Ter Stegen would only prepare Pena to take up the mantle for Barcelona in the future.
Barcelona might still be able to recover the initial amount spent on Neto by letting him move on. Pena, an academy graduate with lesser salary demand, and releasing Neto would be a profitable business for Barcelona.
#2: Buying new central defenders
Central defence is an area that needs some reflection. Barcelona's centre of defence presently consists of Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet.
Pique is one of the established players and a senior figure at Barcelona, with many miles still left in his heels. Lenglet has established his place in the starting eleven and complements Pique very well.
The right foot - left foot central defensive duo has enough quality in them to lead the line at the back for Barcelona. Reports suggest that both the defenders are going to be around for some time.
It is true that Barcelona have been leaking goals this season, though it has more to do with the systemic issues in the squad than the form of their centre backs. Barcelona's diminishing defensive solidity is mostly due to a slackening of pace in their ageing squad and the inability of the team to maintain control over the ball.
However, Barcelona must also have able replacements for Pique and Lenglet, and that's where the problem creeps up.
Down the order, Jean Claire Todibo is being put up for sale alongside compatriot Samuel Umtiti: the former for the money he would fetch and the latter to get his wages off the books as well as due to his injury-prone history. The sale of Todibo and Umititi could easily bring Barcelona close to € 50 to 60 million.
One of the new central defenders that can eventually graduate to the Barcelona first team is Ronald Araújo - a competent defender in the Barcelona B team who has a high ceiling for growth. For the second replacement, which should ideally be a left-footed defender, Barcelona would have to look outside.
Top on the list is Villareal's Pau Torres and Tottenham's Juan Foyth in this regard. Torres might be more expensive and with good reason. Torres has already made appearances for the Spanish national team, and if Barcelona were to buy him, it would be an investment in the right direction.
Foyth, on the other hand, might be less expensive, owing to his falling off the pecking order with coach Jose Mourinho. He has, however, proved his mettle with the national side where he played alongside Lionel Messi. However, the younger Argentine is right-footed, whereas Barcelona ideally needs someone who is left-footed like Torres.
# 3: Buying younger full-backs
The full-backs at FC Barcelona have their task cut out for them. In addition to their defensive duties, they need to go forward and provide more control in the middle of the park as well as provide an extra edge and width in attack.
Some of the greatest Barcelona legends like Dani Alves excelled in such a role. The full-backs thus have a crucial role to play in the Barcelona defence and attack, and as such, their importance to the team cannot be taken lightly.
The starting full-back positions in the Barcelona squad at present are held by Jordi Alba on the left and Sergi Roberto on the right. Though Alba is on the wrong side of 30 and his pace has dropped off slightly, it is safe to say that he is still a safe bet for Barcelona.
Alba needs competition, though, and Junior Firpo has not quite grown into Alba's shoes. Marc Cucurella, another academy player, might have been a good fit for Alba, but it appears that he is bound for Getafe. There have been rumours of Barcelona including Cucurella in a buy-back option.
By all means getting Cucurella back would be easier than going for more expensive players. Barcelona also have Juan Miranda - another academy player - coming back from loan. They can either use him in Firpo's position or offer him to Getafe in exchange for Cucurella.
At right-back, Nelson Semedo has not really lit up the tracks as he was expected to, and it seems both parties have decided to part ways. There have been reports that he may be sent to Juventus in return for veteran midfielder Miralem Pjanić, full-back Mattia De Sciglio and some cash.
It would not a great idea, though, considering how neither of these players would be an upgrade on Barcelona's current roster. Barcelona should probably sell Semedo to Manchester City for some cash and rely on someone younger like Ajax's Sergiño Dest.
Considering the reliability of Roberto at right-back, whoever comes in as his replacement would have to be a strong contender for the position. If rightly used, Dest could also be a huge investment for the future.
# 4: Downsizing the midfield
Of all the places in the Barcelona team, the midfield is the most crowded. This is also the area where the club must let go of a bevvy of players. Philipe Coutinho, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Rafinha Alcantara don't seem to be a part of the club's plans for the next season.
The quartet's sale can bring the club a windfall well north of € 100 million. Not to mention the huge wages that would go off the book by letting go of the first three alone. Even with the veterans gone, the club would still have a brilliant starting midfield lineup led by Sergio Busquets and completed ably by Arthur and Frenkie De Jong.
When you consider the young faces that are waiting to be promoted from the Barcelona B team and are coming back from loan elsewhere, you will find that Barcelona's plate is more than full.
Riqui Puig and Carles Alena are not just back-ups for Arthur and De Jong; they are also able players in themselves who can give the current starters a run for their money. At the pivot, Busquets' tiring legs can be given some rest by his namesake Oriol Busquets or Matheus Fernandes who was signed last winter. The better player between Oriol Busquets or Matheus Fernandes can be retained after trying them out in the pre-season. The other player can be sent out on loan.
Add to the mix a few more players. Pedro Lopez (Pedri), the teenage sensation, is set to join Barcelona from Las Palmas in the summer. Ramon Jimenez (Monchu) has been lighting up the Johan Cruyff Stadium for Barcelona B. You would now realise why Barcelona does not need another midfield signing. Instead, the money from the sale of a few players should be used to shore up other positions.
#5: Neymar or no Neymar?
The situation in the wings is a little tricky for Barcelona.
Let's say it out loud. Since Neymar Junior left, Barcelona hasn't had a proper winger on the left. Ousmane Dembele was brought in hastily to take the Brazilian's place. However, things have not been easy for the Frenchman, who was given very less time to adapt to the team. His constant injuries have not helped his cause either.
Barcelona then brought in Antoine Griezmann, who is more of a square peg in a round hole, considering the fact that he is a central player than a winger. To Griezmann's credit though, he has worked hard and managed to amass some decent numbers so far. The French striker certainly needs to grow further into the role as it looks like he is not going to get his favoured central position in the Barcelona lineup any time soon.
Once Dembele regains his fitness and confidence, the competition on the left would get fierce. Not to mention Ansu Fati, who despite his young age, has proven his capability to hold the fort.
Thus, there is no need to bring Neymar back, even though there have been demands by fans and some players for his return. On the other hand, PSG is least interested in doing business with Barcelona. But if Barcelona do attempt to bring Neymar back, they should ideally let go off Griezman and Dembele to avoid overcrowding as well as over-spending.
On the right, there is Lionel Messi, but even he needs to be rested at times. And it looks like the board has for once made a proper investment by signing Fransisco Trincao. The youngster has been doing well in Portugal and can learn a trick or two at Barcelona while deputising for Messi.
Trincao is a pacy winger with a good eye for goal. Quite capable of taking on defenders one on one, he also tries to cut inside, making space for overlapping midfielders or wing-backs - a style of play that could work well at Barcelona.
Barcelona B's Alex Collado is also a good option. A versatile prospect from the academy, Collado is somewhat of a blend of an attacking midfielder and a winger.
# 6: Investing on a striker to replace Luis Suarez
Barcelona's need for a striker has been in the news for quite some time. They want to secure their future number nine by bringing in Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine is good enough to walk into any lineup.
Currently plying his trade at Inter Milan, Martinez has had a stellar season so far till games got suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak. He has scored 17 goals and has provided three assists in 28 matches in Serie A and Champions League this season. He has also scored nine goals, so far, for his national team.
But at Barcelona, Martinez would have to compete with the club's current number 9 - Luis Suarez. Even with age catching up on El Pistolero, Suarez remains a key player in Barcelona's attack and replacing him would not be an easy task. Though he has become increasingly slower, his impact on the pitch cannot be dismissed, not to mention his understanding with Messi.
Martinez would have his task cut out at Barcelona. But the question in this regard is if Barcelona would be able to afford him. It can be done through the sales cited above as long as the club do not commit to purchases they do not need.
Lautaro Martinez seems to be the marquee signing that the club president Josep Bartomeu wants to pull off. Bartomeu's Barcelona board has been faltering for some time and had a meltdown recently as several members were forced to resign. With the 2021 club elections looming in the horizon, the president would want to win some votes by bagging a high profile signing. Only time would tell if he does a clean job of it.
Conclusion:
A mix of youth and experience is the tried and tested formula for a winning team in football. As of now, Barcelona have an abundance of experience but very little in terms of youth and freshness. An upgrade in the Barcelona squad, therefore, is necessary.
Barcelona's financial mismanagement in terms of poor signings in the past few years and the current underwhelming performances mean that overhauling the squad would be easier said than done. Buying and selling players is going to be very difficult in a season where most football teams have already incurred considerable losses in terms of revenue.
For Barcelona, their hope lies in the talented youngsters coming out from their famed La Masia academy. These players would surely take time to grow into the senior squad, but they cannot do that until and unless the Barcelona bosses show some faith in them.
The best policy for Barcelona to upgrade their squad, therefore, would be to sell a few veterans who are slowing down and more importantly, to trust the academy graduates to step up.
