The financial situation at FC Barcelona in recent years has significantly restricted their activity in the transfer market. Were it not for La Masia’s continued production of talent, there is a good chance the Catalan club would not be as competitive as they are today.
Consequently, whenever the club spends money on a new signing, expectations are immense. More often than not, Joan Laporta and his team have made the right calls, with successful signings such as Lewandowski, Kounde, Raphinha and, despite a small sample size, Joan García.
In Hansi Flick’s first summer in charge, Barcelona made only one major investment: Dani Olmo. Since his arrival, opinions have been divided, largely because the Spaniard was signed for a position where the club already has considerable depth.
Despite ongoing registration issues and persistent injuries throughout last season, Olmo still produced several memorable performances. The 27-year-old was at his creative best and, on many occasions, single-handedly changed games in Barcelona’s favour.
This season, however, despite remaining fit from the start, Olmo’s performances have dropped sharply. Aside from a few flashes of brilliance, the Spaniard has struggled to influence games in the way fans have come to expect.
This presents a major concern for Flick, given how crucial Olmo is to his system. When the midfielder performs well, the team often follows suit, thanks to his creativity and link-up play.
One possible reason for Olmo’s reduced influence is the role he has been asked to play. In several recent matches, Flick has deployed him in a slightly deeper, right-sided half-space role to help overload that area.
Olmo has been making frequent runs into the box from the right to create space for other attackers, but this is not his natural strength. Unlike Fermín López, who thrives in this exact role, Olmo prefers to be more involved on the ball.
When playing between the lines, few players in world football can match Olmo at his best. His press resistance, quick feints and ability to escape pressure are what make him unique.
To maximise these qualities, he needs to operate in a position where he can receive the ball often, just ahead of the forward line. Barcelona used him in this way last season, with great success.
Flick also experimented with using Olmo as a false nine last season. Despite the approach working well on that occasion, the German coach has since avoided returning to that setup.
Perhaps now, with Barcelona having lost two successive games, revisiting that idea or adjusting Olmo’s role could prove beneficial. The Spaniard is far too talented to remain peripheral in this system.
If Olmo can rediscover his form after the international break, it would be a huge boost for Flick and his staff. From the player’s perspective, too, with Fermín López pushing for his place, he will need to raise his level sooner rather than later. It remains to be seen how Flick chooses to address this issue.