With a new head coach, Xavi, and the winter break for new signings approaching, lots is being written about who Barcelona are about to sign. For what it is worth here is my tuppence worth on this. No names, just where the priorities lie in my view.
I identify two priority positions that the team need to fill – centre forward and a winger/wide player. By centre forward I mean a proven regular goal scorer who plays primarily in the centre of the attack. Much of Barcelona’s recent successes have come with such a player – Luis Suarez and Samuel Eto’oo for example. At the moment, due to serious injuries, the club are short of this type of player. Ansu Fati is the great hope for the future, but he is only now recovering from almost a year out with injuries. Nobody really knows if he will fully recover his fitness and form of before. He and the team need another reliable centre forward. Sergio Aguero was to fill this role, but with his tragic injury he may never play again. Martin Braithwaite is another on the injury list. Though he can play as a centre forward, much like Memphis his best position is starting from one of the wings.
All this means that the team need a top class, reliable centre forward. Someone who will both challenge Ansu Fati and provide some respite for the youngster.
The other priority position is that of winger/ wide player. By this I mean someone who plays or at least starts out wide on the wing. As with a centre forward, Barcelona has always found success with two players who can play out wide. This can be a classic, traditional winger – one who has great ball control and can dribble successfully. Messi, Neymar and Ronaldinho for example come into this category. The other type of wide player is more of a direct, pacy striker, for example like Henry, Villa or Pedro. At the moment, again due to a range of serious injuries, the team has only one fully fit player who plays wide – Memphis. Dembélé is the other wide player, but he is so often injured, as of now. The club can only pray and hope that this time he not only fully recovers, but remains fully fit for the rest of the season. There are a few teenagers who can play on the wing, but none has as yet demonstrated enough to be a reliable choice.
Which means that the club need another reliable and experienced wide player, whether a winger or a striker who can play wide. Such a player would offer competition to both Memphis and Dembélé and some respite to both. In addition, Martin Braithwaite can also play on the wing. Though unlikely to ever be a first choice player, Braithwaite is a very good squad player and very useful to have available.
These are for me the two key priorities for new signings. The only other position that might come under review is that of left back. Jordi Alba is very good and still has a good couple of years in him. At present the other left back is Alejandro Balde, another teenager. So far he has looked good and done well when asked to play. However Xavi may feel that he wants a more experienced cover for Alba. The rest of the defence seems to me to be well covered, at least in the short term. With the re-signing of Dani Alves alongside Dest and Mingueza, there are plenty of options for the right back slot. The team now has five central defenders, six if you include Mingueza, who can play there. Just how fit Umtiti really is remains a bit of a mystery. However that still leaves four players for two positions – Eric, Araujo, Piqué and Lenglet. It would only become an issue if Xavi wanted to play three defenders at the back, though with Mingueza also available, probably not too much of a problem.
It looks that there will be exciting times ahead for Barcelona’s midfield. With the breakthrough of Pedri, Gavi and Nico the future of this line looks very promising. In addition the club still have the three older, more experienced players available – Busquets, De Jong and Sergi Roberto. Plenty of options for Xavi to choose from. So, I would be surprised if the club were to try and sign yet another midfielder. The big problem for Xavi will be what to do with Coutinho and Riqui Puig. Neither has fully convinced and with three exciting teenagers around – two of whom are full internationals – not sure either has much of a future with the club.
The biggest challenge facing the club would seem to be the lack of money to sign very good players. Top class centre forwards and wingers do not usually come cheap. Moving on some of the current squad may be an essential part of raising enough money for new signings. Welcome aboard Xavi!
Alister Rutherford 