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Five FC Barcelona preseason takeaways

By Luis Garcia

BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 08: Barcelona players leaves the pitch after the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 08, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 08: Barcelona players leaves the pitch after the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 08, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) /
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4. Ferran is coming for Lewandowski

Another player that’s been linked to plenty of exit rumors this summer is Ferran Torres. Despite what most thought of him coming in (including, honestly, me), he’s been really good so far. He’s got the most goals for Barcelona, with three, and netted an assist for good measure. It seems Xavi’s bet on Ferran as a 9 has paid off. Centrally, where he doesn’t have as much work to do one on one, his movement can really shine.

The flip side of this is that Robert Lewandowski hasn’t looked too good. Granted, it’s preseason, and for an older player, it can sometimes take a while to get ramped back up. But older players don’t tend to get better as time goes on. His link-up play hasn’t impressed, and he’s been a turnover machine thus far. Plenty of nice sequences of passing have come to an abrupt end at his feet.

Robert did score in the Gamper match, and I’m not saying Ferran should start over him just yet. But it’s something to look at. The arrival of Vitor Roque, presumably in December, should throw an interesting wrench into the works too.