Within FC Barcelona, there is currently a lot of room for improvement next season. The Catalan giants, despite their best efforts in this campaign, were ultimately left riddled with insufficient success. Next season, however, Barcelona hope to enter the campaign with a stronger game plan.
Yet, despite their intentions to put together a strong side, FC Barcelona will ultimately still be unable to compete against some of Europe’s other top sides. Real Madrid is already making big waves in the transfer market, but Barça still has yet to address its pivot problem, one that requires urgency.
However, despite the initial belief that the likes of Joshua Kimmich or possibly Martin Zubimendi could join Barcelona this summer, reality is now properly settling in. Barça will likely be unable to pursue another player that is too expensive for them, but they do have a few different profiles in mind that they believe would fit Hansi Flick’s system.
As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, despite the price being too high when it comes to certain players, Barcelona is currently considering what kind of profiles they are more than anything else.
To be precise, MD suggests that Barcelona wishes to incorporate players with more energy. This includes some names that have been previously linked, as well as new names that are beginning to gain more attention due to now being linked with Barcelona.
The most obvious among these names are those of Joshua Kimmich or Martin Zubimendi. However, due to both these stars being quite expensive and Bayern Munich, as well as Real Sociedad, potentially going to demand huge fees for them, the likelihood of either player joining Barcelona this summer is greatly harmed.
Other names include Guido Rodriguez, Bruno Guimaraes, and Andre Onana. Rodriguez, hailing from Argentina, is now a free agent after his contract with Real Betis expired. He has been linked with Barcelona for quite some time now.
However, numerous reports suggest that the signing of Guido Rodríguez has fallen through after the verbal agreement, which was contingent on financial ‘fair play’ regulations, expired on May 31.
Onana, on the other hand, is a player that Barcelona director Deco appreciates a lot. A player who combines physical attributes with technical ability, the Everton midfielder fits the profile that Deco believes would thrive in this Barcelona side.
However, unsurprisingly, the issue of a possibly high transfer fee is again quite restrictive for the Catalan club. Similarly, Bruno Guimaraes is also mostly ruled out due to being considered too expensive for Barça’s liking right at this moment.
A new and interesting name that has popped up is that of Mikel Merino. The Real Sociedad midfielder, with a contract that is set to expire in 2025, is a new entry to the list of potential candidates that Barcelona may pursue.
While he has been linked to La Blaugrana at times in the past, there is now a belief that the Catalan club could end up securing his services for a reasonable amount.
However, even if other options do not materialize, Barcelona is more than willing to bet on Marc Casado. The youngster, a product of their academy and captain of Barcelona Atletic, seems to have a bright future ahead and will likely get the chance to prove himself in the upcoming pre-season so that Hansi Flick can get a better idea of the aspiring pivot.
