Barcelona is ready to return to the transfer market. Following a year in which it has been unable to register new players because of its transfer ban, the Catalan club is prepared to sign again and has been busy identifying targets for 2016.
The Blaugrana brought in Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal in the summer, but both will have to wait until January to make their Barca debuts. And there could be more movement at Camp Nou in the winter window after technical secretary Robert Fernandez said this week: "We are looking at it. There will be no problems signing new players."
The Blaugrana brought in Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal in the summer, but both will have to wait until January to make their Barca debuts. And there could be more movement at Camp Nou in the winter window after technical secretary Robert Fernandez said this week: "We are looking at it. There will be no problems signing new players."
Still seeking support for Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez following the summer sale of Pedro to Chelsea, Nolito remains a top target for Barca. "The winter window is not easy," Fernandez added. "We will look at the possibility of bringing someone in."
And on the Celta Vigo forward, he added: "Nolito is a great player and we are watching him every Sunday."
And on the Celta Vigo forward, he added: "Nolito is a great player and we are watching him every Sunday."
The situation in midfield looks even more complicated. Barca has signed Turan but still need a creative hub, and Atletico Madrid's Koke remains the club's favorite. Two summers ago, Atleti ignored a 60 million euro bid and Barca turned to Ivan Rakitic instead. The Croatian is a fantastic player, of course, but he is not an orchestrator in the Xavi mould like Koke, who is still admired by Barca and remains the club's first choice.
Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho is another alternative. The Brazilian, who previously played in the Catalan capital on loan with Espanyol, operates farther forward but has the blessing of Neymar, his international teammate, and has come on considerably during the past year.
It seems unlikely that both will arrive, and if either of the two move to Camp Nou next summer, it is likely to be alongside a midfielder who can stamp some character on the team. The two main options there are Marco Verratti (an Italian who plays in France, with Paris Saint-Germain) and Paul Pogba (a Frenchman who plays in Italy, with Juventus).
Both will be extremely expensive and are vital in the systems of their respective teams. Verratti's explosion over the last year has seen him scouted by many of Europe's top teams and he revealed in an interview with Goal recently that he is flattered by Barca's interest. An excellent passer who is also capable in defense, the Italian is admired by the Barca board.
Pogba, meanwhile, is a strong character who has assumed an even more important role at Juventus following the summer sale of Arturo Vidal to Bayern Munich. His price, around 80 million euros, is also prohibitive, but Barca will have to pay big if it wants to bring in any of its midfield targets over the next year.
There will also be changes in defense. Marc Bartra and Jeremy Mathieu have a season in which to prove themselves following a shaky start this season, with both looking below the required standard to be relied upon as starters at this level right now.
PSG's Marquinhos remains Barca's favorite for a defensive reinforcement. The Brazilian is young, fast, with good tactical awareness and is adept at bringing the ball out from the back. He can also play as a fullback, having done so both at Roma and for his current club. He will not come cheaply either, especially as time starts to catch up with Thiago Silva. Last summer, PSG rejected a 40 million euro offer from Barca, who will be back in for the defender next July.
If Barca can't bring in the Brazilian, there are other options, such as Tottenham's Jan Verthongen and Inter's Geoffrey Kondogbia. Barca also will look at Dani Alves' position again in the summer to see if another right back is needed - even though it has Aleix Vidal for that position from January forward. Should the team decide to add another, Arsenal's former La Masia graduate Hector Bellerin will be in the frame along with Fabinho, who is enjoying an excellent season at Monaco.
All of those are players admired by coach Luis Enrique and his technical staff. "If I had detected there was no harmony with Luis Enrique, I wouldn't have accepted the position," Fernandez said. "The signings, in the end, are for Barcelona and they will be players we both like because we have already spoken about lots of players and we are in agreement."
In any case, only Nolito has a chance of joining in January. The strike force is the priority at the moment and UEFA only allows three signings in the winter window, two of which have already been taken up by Arda and Aleix Vidal who will be registered in 2016 despite arriving last summer.
So after a year without new players in their first team, Barca is ready to sign again in 2016. And once it has decided on a target, it could all happen quickly.
"If you really want a player," Fernandez added. "You don't need too much time to reach an agreement."
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