Don’t Rush to Crown this Barça’s Best Transfer Window Ever
By Erik Eckert
Despite the euphoria of fans, we shouldn’t rush to call this Barça’s greatest transfer window ever.
Here we are, heading into a new season for Barcelona. There’s always palpable excitement that’s routine during the start of a new campaign, and it’s no different this year. Typically, there’s copious amount of reasons for enthusiasm: Return of great players, seeing old rivalries, and of course, the addition of new signings.
The last reason is arguably the biggest aspect of Barça’s new season that we are looking forward to. No disrespect to watching MSN or anticipating clásicos, but this influx of youth was sorely lacking; And now we get to see these youngsters develop, which is salivating to all cules.
Barcelona said they had roughly €60 million to spend in the market this season. Between their six signings, the total cost reached an exorbitant €122 million. Now before we start freaking out and exclaiming Barça wasted all their money, it’s important to take a closer look: Samuel Umtiti’s fee, according to Barça’s board, was from the previous fiscal year. The signing of André Gomes is assumed to be taken out of next summer’s budget, thanks largely to the new Nike kit deal.
If we take those two out, Barça’s summer spending reaches €62.75 million, well near their budget.
But for the sake of comparison, we’ll say Barça did indeed spend €122 million. That places the 2016 summer window as the second most expensive ever, second only to 2014, where €165 million was spent.
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The new arrivals leave fans jumping with anticipation. And when you see that Barcelona has removed deadweight players, such as Dogulas, Vermaelen, and Adriano, many have begun labeling this Barça’s greatest transfer window ever.
It’s certainly an understandable exclamation. 5 of the 6 signings are players that can contribute for the next decade. Most, if not all, will become future starters. Barcelona have finally derailed from signing players either out of their prime or very close to exiting it. Not only are these deals full of potential, they’re also infused with immediate impact. As we’ve already seen so far, Luis Enrique is not hesitant to trust his new signings in pressure situations.
So on paper, between the addition of wonderful players and departure of deadweights, it isn’t blasphemous to make the argument…..ok, it is. Bear with me.
I want to bring your attention to a similar situations from different sports. Back in 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. The team was immediately declared NBA title favorites and expected to roll through the league. The Philadelphia Eagles of 2011 declared themselves a “dream team.” The Miami Marlins added several high-profile players in 2012, introduced a new stadium and color scheme, and thought themselves as an elite team.
What’s the one thing all those situations had in common? They failed. Miserably. Like they fell flat on their faces and were laughed at as they attempted to pick themselves up. The Lakers were a circus; Poor chemistry and locker room issues were their downfall. Philadelphia had inconsistency and offered too many excuses. The Marlins were just hyped up to much. They weren’t very good to begin with.
How on earth is this situation similar to Barcelona? Simple. Barcelona are now expected to win a treble, which is something that takes a lot of luck. Similar to how the Lakers, Eagles, and Marlins were subject to tremendous preseason expectations, Barcelona too are anticipated for success.
If these 3 anticlimactic seasons taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t overhype expectations. Games are not played on paper. It’s rash to label something as the greatest transfer window ever before we’ve seen anything close to upstanding results.
Can this end up being Barcelona’s greatest transfer window ever? Absolutely. I for one expect it will be. There’s too much promise to ignore the potential for glory. But before we talk about what can, let’s talk about what is.
Without a shadow of a doubt, 2014 is the epitome of Barça’s transfer windows. The 4 most influential signings were Claudio Bravo, Marc Ter Stegen, Ivan Rakitic, and Luis Suárez. All four contributed immediately and helped lead Barcelona to two of their greatest season’s ever.
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Ter Stegen has the potential to become one of the best goalkeeper’s in the world. Rakitic was fundamental in forming a “new” Barcelona; a squad playing more directly and no longer obsessed with tiki taka. Do I need to explain Luis Suárez? He’s the greatest striker in world football right now. His inclusion led to the formation of MSN. The trident didn’t fully take off until we saw Suarez move to the center of the field.
What about 2008? That’s certainly a window of huge importance for Barça, but not one that gave immediate impact like 2014 did. We saw the additions of Piqué, Sergio Busquets, and Dani Alves. Yes, Barça did win a treble the following season. But Piqué and Busquets weren’t as influential in that season as Rakitic and Suárez were in their treble season.
The transfer windows of 2008 and 2014 led to the two greatest seasons in the history of Barcelona. It’s disrespectful and impudent to dismiss those for a window that just ended. Give it time. The 2016 window offers so much hope and promise. But don’t fall intro the trap that scarred the Lakers, Eagles, and Marlins. All we should do is appreciate what Barça did this transfer window and let the results play themselves out.