Barcelona are in a serious financial crunch but in today’s day and age, clubs have to spend money to survive the brutal competition.
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With the club in debt of 1.2 billion euros, it would be hard to bring in some new players to the Catalan side however, the new president wants to still try for a few new players. Ronald Koeman also deserves some reinforcements as he has been very patient with the clubs’ situation and still managed to put in a decent performance with the players who were available.
The Blaugrana currently sit in second place on the La Liga table, three points behind league leaders, Atletico Madrid. The Catalans did not start the season well but they are hoping for a strong finish and they could even challenge for the title if the leaders slip up again.
Koeman is also hoping for a trophy this season and Barcelona have managed to enter the finals of the Copa del Rey. They will face Athletic Bilbao in the finals and if they manage to beat them the Dutch manager will surely deserve some players next season.
Here are a few of the stars that the new president, Joan Laporta, is planning to bring into Barcelona in the next season
1) A second-choice Barcelona goalkeeper
One of the places where Barcelona will be losing a player is going to be their bench. 32-year-old Neto, is reaching the end of his professional career and he will be leaving the club as he wants to spend his last few years on the field and not sitting on the bench. Koeman could opt to go for Barca B side and pick up a youngster from there however, they could also go for a more experienced goalkeeper.
They would need to look into the free agents market as they would not like to spend money on a player who will not feature in most matches. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been a constant for the Catalans and he is the reason why Neto never gets any playing time.
2) Eric Garcia
A La Masia graduate who went to Manchester to make his footballing dreams come true, now wants to make a remarkable return to his childhood club. Eric Garcia went to Manchester City to learn under the guidance of super coach, Pep Guardiola, however, his patience has run out. He is not utilized enough and at the age of 20, he believes that he can no longer be stuck on the benches. He is also extremely homesick and wants a return to the Blaugrana.
Koeman was more than happy to bring him back but could not strike a deal with City in the Summer. Guardiola tried his best to keep Garcia at City but the center-back’s mind was already made. With his contract running out at the end of the season, the player will be free to join Barcelona and he could make a great pair with another promising youngster, Ronald Araujo.
3) Memphis Depay
The Catalans at the moment are without a proper number nine and mostly use Lionel Messi as a false nine to maintain their attacking structure. However, a proper number nine is very much needed, and letting Luis Suarez go was one of their biggest mistakes. Koeman let the Uruguayan go as he wanted to bring in a much younger and more hungry striker to Barcelona. He went after Lautaro Martinez but the deal turned into a disaster and nothing materialized out of it. The Dutch manager’s next choice was Lyon’s Memphis Depay.
Although the Dutch player is technically a winger, he has the capability of playing as a number nine and he has been unstoppable in the Ligue 1. He has already registered 14 goals in the league this season along with eight assists. The former Manchester United player will become a free agent at the end of the season and he will be a great pick for the Catalans as they need to make these free transfers due to their lack of budget.
4) Sergio Aguero
Depay is not the only center-forward that the Catalans can go for. One very viable option that Laporta is looking into is Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero. The Premier League legend is running out of his contract at the end of the season and the club is yet to offer him an extension. The Argentine is great friends with Messi and if the superstar stays with Barcelona next season, Aguero will definitely join him.
Guardiola has already replaced Aguero with Gabriel Jesus and has even tried Phil Foden in his place which makes it clear that Aguero is no longer required at the Manchester side. With close to 400 career goals, he is a goal poacher who could definitely help out Koeman’s side and fill in for Suarez temporarily. The only con is that the player has become quite injury prone lately and that is not something Barcelona can afford at the moment.
5) Erling Haaland
The Borussia Dortmund striker has been an absolute sensation since his discovery last season. He has been pursued by many top-level teams last season but he decided to go with the German side. Now he is once again the most wanted man in all of Europe and he could go to any club he wants to. With stats such as 47 goals in 47 matches for Dortmund, it is no wonder that all the elite sides want him.
However, he has made up his mind to only join one of the biggest clubs and Barcelona happens to be one of them. He will not be cheap and could cost the clubs millions to bring in, further their debt, but Laporta has made his mind to bring in the super striker plus his relationship with Haalands’s agent, Mino Raiola, gives the Catalans a chance to bring in one of the most lethal strikers in the world.
Which new player would you like to see in Barcelona next season?