FC Barcelona do not have all their transfer targets sorted yet, but they did have some rather unclear objectives. This summer, the main objective for the Catalan club was to recruit according to what they needed rather than what they wanted. Unfortunately, Barcelona managed to end up doing the complete opposite.
With the arrival of Dani Olmo, it became clear that Barça’s planning was not nearly as thorough as it would have initially seemed. While no one would dispute the quality possessed by the former RB Leipzig star, it is simultaneously true that his main position is one that Barcelona already has covered.
Moreover, with Olmo’s signing, things become even more complicated for the team’s Brazilian forward, Raphinha. Previously under Xavi Hernandez, the South American forward’s best capabilities seemed to have been unlocked by playing him more centrally rather than as an out-and-out right-winger.
With Lamine Yamal having made the right wing his own by now, and Olmo’s introduction only having added more competition to the central positions, Raphinha’s own role becomes a mystery. According to SPORT, however, Hansi Flick does not intend to alter it as much as people might think, at least for the short-term.
Instead, the German coach will continue to give Raphinha the freedom to exploit the central spaces while allowing players like Alejandro Balde and even Dani Olmo to access the left flank. With Pedri still injured, despite the fact that his recovery is going extremely well, Raphinha could potentially even get more opportunities in the short-term in that specific role.
However, as the season progresses, it will become much more difficult to judge how Raphinha will be used. The likes of Dani Olmo, Pedri, Gavi, Ilkay Gundogan, and even Fermin Lopez can play effectively as attacking midfielders, so it remains to be seen what course of action Flick takes with the 27-year-old winger moving forward.
