FC Barcelona - Realistic Transfer Targets

FC Barcelona are being held back in the transfer window due to a Financial Crisis. The previous board has left the club in tatters. Despite the difficult situation, Koeman does need some players bolster the squad. Their are several players who are ageing and do need back up or replacing. This time, I will be going through three positions of need for Barcelona as stated in the media, analyse the players rumoured, some other shouts as well as my pick for in position. Although it is hard to find cheap deals and free transfers, I will be trying to assess and suggest some low-cost deals along with some interesting rumors. Some Barca B options will also be mentioned, but I won’t go too much into it owing to the reader’s interest.

Midfielder 

The Rumoured: Renato Sanches

The Portuguese international has had quite a roller coaster of a career already. At the age of 23, he has already played in 4 different countries, for Benfica, Bayern, Swansea and Lille. Sanches is of course the right profile player. He is the all action physical midfielder Koeman wants. He can dribble, progress the ball and carry it forward. Evidence to it is his 2.5 dribbles, 6.65 progressive passes and 7.75 progressive carries per 90, that ranks him in the top 2%, 6% and 9% for the respective metrics among midfielders. His injury record though, is something to worry about, as he made only 14 starts for Lille this season in Ligue 1. Compare that to the De Jong, who made 35 starts this season for Barcelona in La Liga. He is valued at 27 M pounds, which might be out of Barcelona’s budget, but just watch this space.

My Pick: Martin Zubimendi

The best way for Barcelona to bolster their squad at a low cost is to buy players from fellow La Liga clubs who are also facing financial difficulties. With Martin Zubimendi, Barcelona can do just that. After breaking into the Real Sociedad first team through the B team, Zubimendi has never looked back. In terms of profile, Zubimendi is your proper number 6. Sitting deeper in midfield as a pivot, he provides balance to the team and is immense in circulating the ball. Always staying behind the ball, getting past pressure with ease and barely setting foot into the final third, Zubimendi is type of player Barcelona would need to succeed Busquets. Real Socieded being a possession heavy side ranking fifth in La Liga for possession, his 3.2 tackles and interceptions is decent. He also ranks above 97 percentile for clearances per 90 and above 92 percentile for ariel duels per 90 among midfielders. Zubimendi, at 22 is still more of an unknown quantity and will improve for sure in the upcoming years. The one advantage he does have as compared to someone like Nico Gonzalez, who could be the man to be Busquets’s understudy is of course his experience in La Liga, as Zubimendi did make 40 appearances across all competitions for La Real. His value has been on the rise, with him now being valued at 18 M pounds, which is quite reasonable for Barcelona. Zubimendi would be the prefect choice for the defensive midfield back up spot if Barcelona could have the funds.

The Outside Shout: Aurelien Tchouameni

Finally, we move on to the player with both the skill sets of a defensive midfielder as well as a central midfielder. Although, Barcelona haven’t got the tendency of looking into Ligue 1 for talents, I think they certainly should. In recent years, Ligue 1 has produced several competent players including many defence minded players. Tchouameni is no exception, brilliant off the ball, he is excellent on it as well. He certainly has an eye for line breaking pass and is also brilliant under pressure, with 9.9 passes under pressure per 90. But its truly his defensive abilities that stand out, with his 6.05 tackles and interceptions ranking him above 99 percentile among midfielders. Considering Monaco average the third most possession in the league at 54%, those stats are out of this world. He is valued at 27 M pounds, which does seem like an undervaluation. Nevertheless, Barcelona don’t really have such a player among their ranks, a destroyer type, would such a player ever fit at Barcelona?

Koeman has insisted upon a midfield signing ever since the start of the transfer window. Ginni Wijnaldum was the first choice for the position, but he chose PSG. The midfield trio at Barcelona is quite set with Busquets, De Jong and Pedri and the back up positions are stacked as well. Puig can barely get a minute, Roberto and Pjanic don’t look like they will leave, Moriba is a tricky one with his contractual situation, Collado could be integrated into more of interior as well, while youngsters like Nico Gonzalez and Gavi are exciting as well. Maybe a defensive midfielder should be a point of interest, but I don’t quite see the need for another midfielder.

Left-Back

The Rumoured: Jose Gaya

Although the rumours have died down recently, if Barcelona had the funds, Gaya would be top on our left back list. Valencia did have a down year after selling many of their players and Gaya wasn’t at his best either. He was still among the top 5 full backs in La Liga. He started 32 games for Valencia and wore the captain’s armband as well. He stats weren’t particularly outstanding, nevertheless the quality is present. Gaya, of course, wouldn’t accept a back up role behind Jordi Alba. The media is reporting that Alba is unwilling to take a pay cut, which might force Barcelona to sell him, though it looks highly unlikely as we are lacking left back cover. He is valued at 31 M pounds, but with his contract at Valencia set to expire in 2023, giving Barcelona hope to strike a bargain.

My Pick: Javi Galan

Javi Galan, the Huesca left back would be my choice for the left back spot. He was amazing for Huesca the past season and in contention for the best La Liga left back as well. The Spaniard completed the most successful dribbles in La Liga bar Messi. He started 34 games, came off the bench for 3 games and was the most important player for Huesca. He completed 3.2 tackles, 1.1 key passes and 16.3 pressures per 90. He ranked top 5% and top 2% for pressures and tackles in the middle third per 90, showcasing how high up the pitch he plays. He does have a high recovery speed as well. Galan does often play as a wing back and moves high up the pitch. Alba also does the same job from left back and similarities can be found between the two in terms of recovery speed and dominating the left flank. With a release clause of just 3.5 million pounds, its shocking to see that no other club has picked him up. A budget signing, Galan at 26 would be the perfect stopgap signing between Alba and Balde.

The Outside Shout: Owen Wijndal

Owen Wijndal is the young exciting option for Barcelona. He is brilliant on the ball and plays in a possession-based AZ Alkmaar side. He is very good going forward as well as backward. He is AZ Alkmaar’s main outlet to progress possession. He is brilliant in 1v1 situation and is solid in the defensive third with his 2.17 tackles in the defensive third ranking him above 97th percentile among fullbacks. Although not a regular presser, his 40% successful pressures rank him above 99th percentile among full backs. Still not the finished product, the Dutch full back has a lot to improve upon. With him valued at 16 M pounds, Barcelona just maybe could afford him.

Barcelona do need left back cover with Junior Firpo gone. Alejandro Balde has shown promising signs during first 2 Pre-season matches, but at 17 he still has a lot development to undergo. With Barcelona in financial difficulty, left back cover is not the priority. Financially, it would make more sense to promote Balde, on the back of signing a new contract.

Centre-Back

The Rumoured: Cristian Romero

The Atalanta defender has been on the rise ever since his loan exit from Juventus. He has been one of the best centre backs this season and several top clubs are behind his signature. The media has reported Barcelona interest amidst rumors of him joining Spurs. Romero would no doubt be an excellent signing for Barcelona. Romero is no doubt a monstrous centre back with his 5.6 tackles and interceptions per 90 ranking above 99^th percentile among centre backs for both metrics. He is good in the air as well with his 4 aerial duels won per 90 ranking above 94^th percentile among centre backs. His strongest trait though, arguably is his pressing. He is hounding on the forwards as soon as they come close to the middle and defensive third. Romero perfectly complements Atalanta’s high pressing and energetic style of play. His ball playing abilities may not be top notch, but he does get the job done. The price tag is where the real problems come in. Although he is valued at 31 M pounds, Atalanta are set to demand north of 50 M pounds. That would certainly not be a realistic transfer for Barcelona, but over the past few days he has been linked quite frequently, which makes it transfer worth analysing and keeping an eye on.

My Pick: Lisandro Martinez

The Argentine defender is quite different in terms of playing style when compared to Romero. While he might not be a defensive powerhouse, his ball playing ability and composure stand out. He is also left footed, something which Barcelona lack in the defensive line, with Umtiti likely heading towards the exit door. Despite playing in a possession heavy, Lisandro averages 4.7 tackles and interceptions per 90. While his 12.5 pressures per 90 ranks him in the top 11% among centre backs. He has also featured at left back and defensive midfield, which are positions of need for Barcelona. He is valued at around 2o M pounds and Barcelona do have a good relation with Ajax. At 23, Lisandro Martinez is the perfect centre back signing that Barcelona need to strengthen the backline.

The Outside Shout: Alessio Romagnoli

Romagnoli’s career hasn’t gone as intended. His value has dropped more than 20 M pounds since 2019 and he needs a new challenge. With Tomori coming in the January transfer window, chances for Romagnoli to prove himself diminished. Simon Kjaer and Tomori established themselves at the heart of the AC Milan defence. AC Milan’s loss could quite well be Barcelona’s gain. Although he hasn’t been very good lately, his quality is still evident. His is still a calm on the ball and could be the leader Barcelona lack in defence. He also has the tendency to crunch into a tackle, a trait possessed by none of the Barcelona defenders. Considering AC Milan could do with Coutinho after the departure of Hakan Calhanoglu, makes this deal and especially interesting one. Romagnoli is valued at just 22 M pounds, while Coutinho is valued at 27 M pounds. Barcelona are struggling to get rid of Coutinho. If Barcelona could facilitate a swap deal between Coutinho and Romagnoli, the transfer would be worthy for Barcelona.

Barcelona are in need for a quality centre back to bolster the defence. With 4 right footed centre backs already at the club, a natural left footed centre back is the position of need. With Barcelona in such a dire financial situation, a signing like Laporte or De Ligt is not possible. Lisandro Martinez might be the right man for the job, but a Coutinho-Romagnoli Swap could also be on the cards.

There you have it, the realistic transfers for Barcelona this summer transfer window. Comment down below your transfer picks, share the content and why not check out my Euro Team of the Tournament if you haven’t already. Thanks for stopping by, I hope to see you back soon and remember its more than a blog.