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FC Barcelona had a very mixed 2018-19 season. Many of their supporters - the Blaugranes - have shown their discontent with the club's poor performances in important games and competitions.
Surprisingly, Barcelona managed to win two trophies last season: La Liga, where they came first by a solid 11-point margin, and the Supercopa de Espana. They were semi-finalists in the UEFA Champions League, where a 4-0 thrashing by Liverpool crushed their hopes of winning Europe's most coveted trophy. They did get to the finals of the Copa del Rey, but they failed to make it count, losing 2-1 to Valencia.
While winning two trophies out of a possible four is a world-class achievement in any realm, Barca failed to reach the expectations of the media and the fans. Getting knocked out of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals was heartbreaking for the Blaugranes and simply should not have happened. The Spanish giants were three goals up in the first leg, and no world-class team would throw away such a lead, and concede four goals in the second leg.
So Barca may have won trophies yet again, but when they failed, they did so at the worst possible times, in the worst possible way. It isn't shocking, then, that President Josep Bartomeu had to publicly stand behind head coach Ernesto Valverde, whom the fans had already laid much of the blame on.
Barca went into this transfer season with a plan to rebuild the squad effectively and efficiently for the next season. The board of directors and the manager know that they must exceed expectations next season, and the two-month transfer window has allowed them to build towards that.
Without further ado, let's take a look at what the Blaugrana have done in this transfer window.
#4 Goalkeepers
Barcelona made the decision to bring in Neto Murara from Valencia, paying a fee of €26 million to make the transfer happen. Only two years ago, Juventus sold Neto to Valencia for only €7 million, making this a solid investment for Los Ches. He managed ten clean sheets in 34 league appearances, helping the club to a fourth-place finish. While he may be the second choice to Barca's number one Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the Blaugranes will look forward to see their new man in action between the sticks.
Jasper Cillessen went in the opposite direction, leaving Camp Nou for Valencia. Having brought him in for €35 million, 30-year-old Cillessen can be assured of more game time and certainly more Champions League appearances.
25-year-old Adrian Ortola joined Barcelona in 2013 but has gone on loans ever since. His last foray for game time was at Deportivo La Coruna, and Barca chose not to renew his contract, releasing him instead. He will now take his chances at second-tier club CD Tenerife.
#3 Defenders
One of the most exciting transfers for the Blaugranes is Junior Firpo. Jordi Alba at left-back has long needed a strong and efficient backup player, and Firpo looks to be just that. Playing for Real Betis, he contributed to seven goals in 24 league appearances, and Barca were quick to snap the 22-year-old for €18 million. Barcelona will be hoping that young Firpo can continue his top form and growth at the Nou Camp.
20-year-old right-back Emerson was a shared signing Barcelona had with Real Betis, bringing him to Spain for €12 million. However, the youngster will ply his trade with Betis in the meantime.
Sergi Palencia and Douglas returned from their loan spells in France and Turkey respectively. However, Palencia has left for Saint-Etienne on a permanent move, with Barca receiving a €2 million fee. Douglas has been released by Barca, and he has signed a contract with Besiktas.
Thomas Vermaelen has left the club on a free transfer to Japanese team Vissel Kobe. Jelson Murillo has also left the club after a loan spell in Camp Nou, returning to Valencia and then being loaned out to Sampdoria.
#2 Midfielders
Barcelona currently have many midfield options with the likes of Arturo Vidal, Arthur Melo, Ivan Rakitic, and Sergio Busquets to name a few. It isn't, therefore, surprising that they brought in only one midfielder in this window.
Frenkie de Jong, a former Ajax man, has cost Barcelona €75 million in bringing him to the Nou Camp. While de Jong is only 22 years old, he can easily challenge other midfielders for a starting XI berth. His hefty transfer fee will also help in ensuring his place in the first team. De Jong was part of a youthful Ajax squad that competed commendably in the Champions League, successfully steamrolling past heavyweights like Juventus and Real Madrid.
Andre Gomes, former Barcelona midfielder, was at Everton on loan last season. Due to barely any game time available at Camp Nou, the 25-year-old decided to make his loan move to Goodison Park a permanent one. Everton paid Barcelona €25 million to acquire Gomes' services for the foreseeable future.
Denis Suarez, who had been at Arsenal on loan last term, also had to leave the Nou Camp this transfer window in search of better chances on the field. He did not impress at the North London club during the months he spent there, and it wasn't shocking that Unai Emery did not push for the 25-year-old's return. Suarez has moved to Celta de Vigo instead, with Barcelona receiving just over €12 million for the star.
#1 Forwards
The drama involving the sale of Antoine Griezmann is not yet over, even though Griezmann is already at the Nou Camp with his new teammates. Atletico Madrid are unhappy that Barcelona made a deal with the player while he was still under contract with Atletico. They also expect Barca to pay the original €200 million release clause, rather than the €120 million eventually paid due to a contract clause. Investigations have been launched into both clubs and the Frenchman, but it remains to see how everything will be sorted out. Griezmann, however, has become a Barca player and has already featured for the Spanish giants in friendly competitions this pre-season.
Paco Alcacer, after joining Borussia Dortmund on loan, has finalized a permanent deal with the German heavyweights. Dortmund have acquired his full-time services for €21 million. 23-year-old Marc Cardona, another centre-forward, left on loan to SD Eibar last season. Upon his return to Camp Nou, he was bought by Osasuna for €2.5 million. 32-year-old star Kevin-Prince Boateng barely got any playing time while he was at Barcelona, and has gone back to Sassuolo. Sassuolo, however, recently sold him off to Fiorentina for just €1 million.
22-year-old starlet Malcom has also left the Nou Camp after he could only make 18 appearances for the Spanish giants last season. Top Russian club Zenit Saint-Petersburg agreed with Barcelona on €40 million for the youngster, and he has moved to Russia.
[All transfer figures are from Transfermarkt's Barcelona page]
