Barcelona have been placed under further pressure by Lionel Messi, who has put forth his latest demands in front of the club.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is coming under the scanner with every step he takes. The Catalans are not in the best of positions all things considered and have had newer problems to deal with upon every passing day. Poor signings is just one of them and Lionel Messi has intervened with his recommendations, Don Balon claims.
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Quique Setien has done a fairly decent job since taken over Ernesto Valverde in January this year, but he has had to work with a squad with surplus and ageing players. The former Real Betis manager needs a full transfer window to refurbish his side and strengthening their defence should also be a priority for Barca, who have been leaky this season.
Lionel Messi has suggested that the Blaugrana sign a central defender during the summer. Samuel Umtiti is expected to leave the club and the captain insists upon the club bringing a first-team quality player in and not necessarily an expensive one. Aymeric Laporte, Unai Simon and Pau Torres are the three names proposed by the Argentinian.
Nelson Semedo and Sergi Roberto have both been subpar this season and it’s high-time that the club signs a consistent right-back, who can offer equally well in defence and attack. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joshua Kimmich are the suggested names, but they are certainly going to be expensive, so Hector Bellerin is also an option for Barca.
In a much needed defensive rebuild where the full-backs would be a centre of attention, Messi has requested for Barcelona to sell Junior Firpo due to his continued disappointment. With that said, Jordi Alba does require a back-up and eventually a successor, so there is thought that Nicolas Tagliafico, Alex Moreno or Marc Cucurella would be good signings.
Finally, the Catalans are expected to be in need of a midfielder as Ivan Rakitic as well as Arturo Vidal look set to depart for more minutes. Fabian Ruiz from Napoli is touted to join Quique Setien at the Camp Nou, but his mammoth price tag has made Tottenham Hotspur’s Tanguy Ndombele an attractive option too.
All these signings would certainly be beneficial for the La Liga leaders, but it remains to be seen whether the board will indeed pursue transfers for the defensive-minded players. Josep Maria Bartomeu seems to be amongst those presidents who chooses his signings by name rather than quality, and that has proven costly more than once for Barca.
Regardless of his stance or Lionel Messi’s requests, it remains clear that Lautaro Martinez and Neymar are still on top of the summer’s shopping list. The South American duo is keen on joining Barcelona, but their price tags mean that only one of them can sign for this summer. What unfolds in the market will be interesting to see with regards to the Catalans.
Do you think Barcelona would be able to accommodate all of Messi’s requested transfers?