Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman and newly elected president Joan Laporta have reportedly finalized three signings for the summer transfer window.
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Laporta has made it clear that Koeman will continue with Barca for at least another season, with the president stating that he has complete trust in the Dutch coach. It is no doubt that the arrival of the former Netherland boss has improved the squad that was struggling under former coaches like Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien.
Koeman not only found success with a striker-less squad but also brought unity with the introduction of youth. Players like Pedri, Ronald Araujo, Ilaix Moriba, and many more have rejuvenated the Nou Camp.
Even soon-to-be free-agent Lionel Messi is seen enjoying his time and might even sign a renewal because of it. While the future of the Argentine remains uncertain, the Catalan giants need to sign reinforcements to compete against the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City for the Champions League title.
While Koeman was rumored to be interested in making multiple signings under former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the financial crisis at the club made the task impossible. Laporta, however, looks to support Koeman with his intended transfer targets and could potential bring some of them in the summer.
OkDiario reports that the Dutch coach has requested Laporta to sign three names, with the president now not only approving the signings but also looking to bring them in the summer.
Here are the three players Koeman wants to bring to Barcelona,
#1 Eric Garcia of Manchester City (Centre-Back | Age: 20 | Fee: Free)
Eric Garcia is the perfect centre-back signing for Barca as he was part of the club’s youth academy, La Masia. The now 20-year-old left the Nou Camp in 2017 to develop under Pep Guardiola.
Garcia has become one of the best young defenders in the world and it is no surprise that Guardiola wants him to renew. Unfortunately for the Spanish coach, Garcia has made up his mind to return home to Barca.
The Catalan giants are in need of centre-backs with many current defenders proving to be unreliable. Gerard Pique is already 34 years of age with Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet heavily underperforming. It has been youngsters like Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingeuza that have taken over the Barca defence under Koeman but Garcia’s arrival will definitely strengthen the squad.
While Laporta hopes to bring more defenders, both him and Koeman agree that Garcia has the potential to be a great reinforcement especially when the youngster is coming for free.
#2 Memphis Depay of Olympique Lyon (Forward | Age: 27 | Fee: Free)
Memphis Depay has been a name heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou ever since the arrival of Koeman. The Dutch striker is well known to Koeman and has the experience to not only play as a no. 9 but also rotate to the wingers. This versatility will be greatly appreciated at Barca especially with the presence of Messi, who enjoys rotating from the wing to the centre.
The Spanish side have been without a proper no. 9 ever since the exit of Luis Suarez. While both Antoine Griezmann and Martin Braithwaite have the potential to fill the role, Koeman believes Depay will be better suited for the job. The Lyon forward has managed 14 goals while providing 9 assists in 30 league matches.
The 27-year-old currently sits second in the Ligue 1 goalscoring chart with Kylian Mbappe leading the race with 20 goals. Koeman hopes that his arrival will resolve the goalscoring issues Barca face in some matches where the absence of a striker is evident.
#3 Georginio Wijnaldum of Liverpool (Midfield | Age: 30 | Fee: Free)
Gini Wijnaldum has been a vital part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side that won both Champion League and the Premier League title in the past two seasons. The 30-year-old, however, will likely leave Anfield at the end of the season with Barca hoping to secure him for free.
Koeman hopes that his relationship with the player during his time with the Netherland national team, along with a chance to fulfil the dream of playing for Barcelona, will be enough to convince the midfielder.
It remains to be seen if Laporta can manage to bring all three players for free with Depay and Wijnaldum being the most complicated arrivals. The players are currently focused on the task at hand with their respective squads and will not entertain any talks linking them to Barca until the season ends.
Which of these players would you like to see at Barca?