Ferran Torres has been signed by Barcelona, but there should still be plenty of activity at Camp Nou to transfer players before the end.
Barcelona’s season has been a complete disaster.
They finished seventh in La Liga, 18 behind leaders in Real Madrid.
Despite Koeman’s departure and Xavi’s signing, optimism was restored to the club. However, ongoing injuries and an epidemic have left Barca in a vulnerable position going into 2022.
Depay, a summer arrival, has not been convincing upfront and doesn’t seem to fit into Xavi’s preferred tactical system. Aguero has retired earlier due to heart disease.
Luke de Jong has been widely criticized. Loan signing Demir is ready for departure, while summer signing Eric Garcia still is settling in.
Barcelona is in dire need of reinforcements at both ends. Araujo is the only center-back who has impressed, while Barca has struggled to score goals.
Barca has played more intently and with more purpose since Xavi’s arrival. However, they still struggle to seize the opportunities that are presented and there is a lot of room to improve.
Signings possible
Barcelona has signed Ferran Torres, a Manchester City frontman, for EUR55 million. However, Barcelona will have to reduce spending to register the versatile frontman.
This deal highlights the club’s financial woes and can be used as a guideline in predicting which players will join them in January. Barcelona wants to buy the player on a temporary loan. Perhaps with a buyout option in the summer.
Morata is a target, and the club has confirmed that. However, Barca will need to be creative to sign the Spanish striker.
Morata was on loan to Juventus this season. Juve would be open to letting the Spaniard striker go if they could find a replacement. However, Morata’s parent club Atletico Madrid won’t want to increase their direct rivals, Barca.
Atletico will still pay Barcelona for Griezmann. There may be some negotiation, as the former is currently on loan from Atletico. Morata, however, has accepted a move. He would be a better player to support Xavi’s tactics than Depay.
Barca’s other players are most likely out of contract by the end of the season.
Aspilicueta (Chelsea) and Christensen (Chelsea) are both potential recruits. However, neither is likely to be allowed early because Tuchel’s squad has been hard hit by injuries.
Barcelona has also been monitoring Borussia Monchengladbach’s Zakaria, although he is unlikely to leave before the summer.
Potential departures
Barcelona has a lot of players in their squad that could leave at the right price. However, the team is keen to get rid of some of them.
Coutinho is the team’s most iconic player. His EUR20 million a season salary holds the club back financially. Xavi doesn’t often play him because he doesn’t trust him. Coutinho now plays behind Nico, Garvey, and Pedri.
Due to his high salaries, however, it is difficult for the ex-Leicester player to find a buyer. Newcastle is the club’s hope for him to be able to play in the Premier League again.
Umtiti is in the same position as Umtiti, but the French defender seems reluctant about leaving. The club is reluctant to risk Umtiti’s injury and wages.
De Mille is on loan from Rapid Vienna and has not been in training. Xavi prefers B-team youngsters Elias Akholm, Eze Abboud, and after a great start at Barca, it’s his turn.
Dexter could leave the club with the arrival of Alves. Xavi is not comfortable with the American international. Dexter could leave Barcelona with the help of Mingus and Alves at right-back.
On loan
Due to the difficulty in selling Umtiti and Coutinho, it is possible to loan them. However, Barca will still have to pay some of their wages.
Barca has never been keen to loan their La Masia talents to younger players. This is despite so many injuries plaguing Barca. After years of abandonment, the direct route to the first team has been reopened.
Some players, like Puggi, have declined loan offers from Barca when they approached them with the desire to bring their dreams to Camp Nou.
Alex Corrado, a young striker, has accepted a loan move to Granada. He missed the first half of the season because his contract with Sheffield United was canceled. It was too late to register to Barca or Barca B.
Contracts
Barcelona’s biggest problem is Dembele’s contract, due to expire this summer. Dembele arrived in Barcelona for a EUR147 million transfer fee. However, he has so far not lived up to his expectations.
The frequent injuries that the French winger has sustained have kept him from playing regularly. His many off-field antics, particularly during his first few years at Barcelona have also frustrated the club staff.
Despite his inability to play, the club decided to give Dembele a chance under Xavi. Xavi admired Dembele’s ability to win one-on-one matches on the wing.
Ferran Torres would also be registered if his contract was extended. His transfer fee amortization would be spread out over additional years.
Enough Football reported that talks about Dembele’s contract extension collapsed. This means that Dembele is still in doubt.
Roberto’s contract will also expire this summer. However, the club has promised Roberto a new one despite the fact he is still recovering from surgery. Although the club is looking to reduce Roberto’s wages, no agreement has been reached by both sides until he recovers from injury.
Garvey’s contract, which has a EUR50 million release clause, is also a topic of conversation. Barcelona wants to raise it and give him a higher salary in line with his outstanding performances.
