Barcelona finish a rebuilding season on a low note without a clear plan forward
What will the club do in the transfer market?
The mood is low at the Camp Nou. FC Barcelona seemingly turned around a moribund season with some good results and a Copa del Rey win, and Ronald Koeman was being praised for a successful transition year.
However, the Catalans have shown extremely lackluster results as of late. An inability to beat Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid confirmed suspicions that Koeman’s Barcelona can’t win big games, and dropped points against the likes of Levante and Celta Vigo fully threw the blaugrana out of the title race.
Rumors now point to Koeman’s possible exit, and perhaps another rebuild. With a new club president (Joan Laporta) and a new manager, it’s time for another transition. But it’s not clear exactly what that entails.
Laporta’s top transfer target has always been Erling Haaland, but considering his club’s financial situation, it seems like a dream. That’s when rumors began speaking about a possible reunion with Neymar, but that was dashed by the Brazilian renewing his deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Rumors strongly link Eric GarcÃa and Sergio Agüero with leaving Manchester City and arriving in Catalonia, but beyond that, it’s hard to say what the club will do.
Laporta would want a big signing to kick off his first transfer window back in charge, but it’s not quite clear who that would be.
But before that, his first decision will be whether he thinks Koeman can indeed bring Barcelona to the next level. Koeman was not Laporta’s choice, he was Bartomeu’s. He has done a solid job in his first year but the way the team has ended the campaign has raised serious doubts.
Xavi has been mentioned as a possible replacement, but that has not been decided yet.
So how does Barcelona manage the next chapter? Do they stick with Koeman? Do they go for Xavi? Is there another manager that would be better?
And how about the transfer window? Is Haaland possible? Are there any other stars out there that they can sign? Should the money be spread out over several players instead of one star?
The discussion continues.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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