Last year, Barcelona experienced a transformative summer. A series of ‘financial levers’ helped them sign a host of fresh faces despite being more than €1billion (£856million/$1.1bn at current exchange rates) in debt — but that was supposed to be the start. Xavi and his coaching staff wanted this off-season to be a second revolution in which they completed the job of reshaping the squad.
It was clear this summer would look very different when La Liga changed its financial rules to make a repeat of 2022 impossible.
With the now-open window approaching, sporting director Mateu Alemany told the club he would leave to join Aston Villa of the Premier League after June 30.
When The Athletic asked how Barca would cope with that at the time, a source — who, like the others cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — replied: “We will try to do as many operations as possible before June 30 with Mateu on the team.”
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But these are not straightforward times for Barcelona. Alemany performed a U-turn and decided to stay, much to the club’s relief. On the downside, we are two weeks away from the end of June — a point by which Barca hoped to have several deals wrapped up — and the reality is Xavi’s side are blocked in the transfer market.
Last week, La Liga approved Barcelona’s economic viability plan, meaning the club could register new contracts for stars such as Ronald Araujo and Gavi. But the competition also told them they were still over their salary limit. As a result, they can only spend 40 per cent of whatever they raise through sales and loans on new signings. So, if they sell a player who reduces their wage bill by €100million, for instance, they can register one on a €40m salary.
That meant a potential dream return for Lionel Messi fell through, leaving Xavi without one of his biggest targets for the window. There is ongoing uncertainty over how Barcelona can sign other players they have set their sights on — with Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan a prime example — and no players want to leave.
It all adds up to a hugely worrying picture for the Catalan club and their fans, both in Spain and worldwide.
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So, what are Barcelona going to do and how do they plan to solve these issues? The Athletic attempts to explain…
Which positions are the priority?
Barcelona have had no problems spotting weaknesses in their team and planning where they want to strengthen. The club’s sporting department have made their priorities in this transfer window clear to the board — but enacting them is another question.
The No 1 profile of player they want is a midfielder who can both operate as a deep-lying playmaker and be an anchor to stop opposition attacks — in other words, a replacement for the departing Sergio Busquets. The coaching staff do not want Frenkie de Jong to continue playing that role, so it would have to be a new signing.
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There is also an urgent requirement for an attacking midfielder. Barcelona need a player who can support Pedri in terms of chance creation and who has the skill to play between the lines. This is where Xavi saw a returning Messi fitting in and why he wants to sign Gundogan.
From the early months of Xavi’s tenure in the 2021-22 season there has been a sense the side are over-reliant on Pedri, their now 20-year-old midfielder. As one first-team source put it to The Athletic earlier this year, “When Pedri is out or injured, our whole idea struggles.”
(Photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The club are looking at two other profiles in this window, although these are not as important.
They would like a versatile forward who can operate across the front line and put pressure on the attackers who are already part of Xavi’s squad. This player would replace Robert Lewandowski whenever the Poland striker, who turns 35 in August, is out injured and would also counter the expected departures of other forwards this summer.
Barcelona could also do with a new right-back, as Xavi currently does not have a senior player who is a natural in that position: Jules Kounde has been the side’s most reliable performer in the role since signing from Sevilla last summer, but he is really a centre-back and does not enjoy playing on the right.
Sergi Roberto is behind him in the pecking order while Ronald Araujo has shown he can impress there when called upon. The only other option is Julian Araujo, who was signed in January from LA Galaxy of MLS but has yet to make a senior appearance for his new club because of a bureaucratic error in the deal. Sergino Dest is returning from a season-long loan at AC Milan but is not even being considered by Xavi.
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Who are known or plausible targets?
Xavi had focused on two particular names to replace Busquets: Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich.
Zubimendi has ruled himself out, though, repeatedly stating in interviews his desire to stay at his hometown club. After Real Sociedad qualified for next season’s Champions League by finishing fourth, the 24-year-old said he would remain in San Sebastian and inherit local legend Asier Illarramendi’s No 4 shirt. “I’m more motivated by inheriting Illarramendi’s No 4 than Busquets’ No 5,” he told newspaper Diario Vasco last week.
So that potential signing is off, and so is any move for Kimmich. Despite Barcelona’s coaching staff having believed the 28-year-old Germany international could be tempted to try to force his club’s hand, he too disappointed them in an interview. “I still have two more years of contract here, and I have big plans at Bayern,” Kimmich has told German outlet Bild.
What’s left then? Reports have linked Barcelona with a move for Fiorentina and Morocco star Sofyan Amrabat. But, as much as they rate the 26-year-old, coaching-staff sources have said he is a significant way behind Zubimendi and Kimmich in terms of their preferred choices. Amrabat is understood to be valued at €25m by his Italian club, which also makes things complicated.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves has been put forward by superagent Jorge Mendes, but he is not considered to be the ideal profile for Xavi. Even so, his name remains in the mix. Barcelona’s backroom staff have also been monitoring Guido Rodriguez of Betis, who was part of Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad last year, but whether his club would discuss a deal is unclear.
Another name who has been linked is Chelsea and Southampton old boy Oriol Romeu. He has enjoyed a fine debut season back in Spain at Girona and has an accessible release clause, which sources have told The Athletic is worth around €4m.
Romeu is also a graduate of La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy, and was once in a first-team matchday squad alongside Xavi, so knows the ins and outs of the club. The now 31-year-old is well-settled in Girona, where he is close to his home town and his family, but the prospect of rejoining his boyhood club could prove tempting.
Barcelona face another tough situation in their quest to bring in an attacking midfielder. After they were rejected by Messi in favour of Inter Miami in MLS, Xavi’s absolute priority is Gundogan.
The club’s transfer strategy this summer largely hinges on the City captain.
Gundogan is the only top-quality, highly experienced player left that they can dream to sign in that position. Xavi has been in contact with the 32-year-old Germany international, laying out the role he envisages him playing and explaining how important he would be to the team.
Barcelona have improved their initial proposal and are offering Gundogan a three-year contract. But there are doubts it is enough, as they cannot guarantee he will actually be registered to play for them under La Liga’s financial rules. Meanwhile City, and manager Pep Guardiola especially, are pushing hard to get a new deal done. Gundogan’s camp insist no final decision has been made, but he will have to make a call sooner or later.
(Photo: Tom Flathers/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Barcelona sources were expecting an answer this week, but one did not arrive.
Footage emerged during City’s treble celebrations earlier in the week showing Jack Grealish publicly trying to convince team-mate Bernardo Silva not to leave the club this summer, pleas which sources who were present say continued even during the day’s more private festivities. In contrast, there was nothing like that with Gundogan, and no sense of a big farewell for the player who was Guardiola’s first signing at City seven years ago.
If Gundogan decides to stay in England, Barcelona would take a huge hit in terms of their transfer planning and will have to start their search from scratch.
Everything is more blurred at right-back. Multiple names have been linked, but there are flaws to all of them in terms of how a deal could be executed.
Barcelona enquired about Joao Cancelo in January but were unable to secure him on loan due to their salary-limit problems. They are still interested in the 29-year-old City full-back, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern Munich, but the Premier League, FA Cup and European champions are now looking to sell him and the La Liga champions would only be able to afford another loan.
Other names to have appeared in the Catalan press are Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda, the Brazilian Vanderson from Monaco and Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida, but none appear to be realistic options at present.
What were their last three summer window spends?
Last year’s summer of lever-pulling led to Barcelona signing eight new players for a combined €158m — money was spent on Raphinha (€58m from Leeds United), Kounde (€50m), Lewandowski (€45m from Bayern Munich) and Pablo Torre (€5m from Racing Santander), while Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso and Hector Bellerin arrived on free transfers.
That expensive window was in stark contrast to the corresponding 2021 version, when only €14m was paid out — all on signing right-back Emerson Royal from Real Betis. They brought in winger Yusuf Demir and striker Luuk de Jong on loan and used the free-agent market to their advantage in signing Memphis Depay from French club Lyon and both Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero from Manchester City.
In the summer of 2020, just over €100m went on three players who have disappointed at, or even already left, the club — Miralem Pjanic joined for €60m from Juventus in a strange swap deal involving Arthur Melo, winger Francisco Trincao signed from Braga for €31m and Ajax’s Dest cost €21m.
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How much money is likely to be available this summer?
Not much. Barcelona have been mainly targeting the free-agent market, as they know these will be more viable deals in the short term. Any money they spend on signings will have a financial impact in terms of amortisation over the length of the players’ contract, which is key to understanding the club’s salary limitations.
The more players Barca can sell over the next two and a half months, the more they will be able to invest in new signings. The club are in a difficult position when it comes to spending money, given they do not know how many players they will be able to find buyers for. So their budget is likely to change as the window goes on.
But there was a telling confession from one source in the backroom staff: “Any bit of money that we can raise, we should invest on a defensive midfielder. We have this clear.” That shows not even those inside the club expect the same kind of spending spree as a year ago and know they cannot spend on every position they want to reinforce — even if they will try.
Who makes the key decisions over signings?
Barcelona share out the responsibility for this, but there are two key people involved with transfers: Xavi and club president Joan Laporta.
Laporta is well aware of the manager’s preferences, but he does his own consulting and negotiating on multiple operations. Neves is a great example of that — a potential signing the club have explored partly thanks to their good relationship with his agent, Mendes, and despite Xavi never having shortlisted him.
The president works very closely with sporting director Alemany and tries to keep an open mind, looking for any opportunities the market and his closest agents can offer. But no signings are made without first being presented to Xavi. Some have been made without having been expressly pursued by the manager, but he has then given the deals his seal of approval.
Even so, the most influential figure remains Laporta.
Who is an outside name to keep an eye on?
Vitor Roque. The 18-year-old Athletico Paranaense striker has not received the same coverage as Messi or Gundogan in the local press but he is Barca’s preferred candidate to be that versatile forward to supplement Lewandowski and — in the long-term — replace him.
Roque has been involved with 25 goals (17 goals, eight assists) in 61 appearances with the Brazilian club, despite his young age, and made his senior Brazil debut in March. Barca sources have confirmed to The Athletic that he is a player they are seriously interested in.
(Photo: Albari Rosa/AFP via Getty Images)
Spanish outlets went one step further. Madrid-based newspaper AS reports that Roque will sign for Barcelona this summer but that the Catalans will wait until the very last minute to decide whether he joins up with them right away or stays in Brazil for another year on loan, based on if they can register him.
Roque would cost €35m, plus a further €10m in add-ons, which seems a lot given the club’s financial predicament. But Barca would offer him a lengthy contract to spread the transfer fee out over several years. As he is still a teenager, his salary would not be significant.
The best-case scenario would involve Roque developing at the Catalan club and signing a new contract when he becomes a more valuable player. In the worst-case scenario, he would still be young enough to be sold on if he failed to live up to expectations.
Who could be heading out?
Here we enter ‘usual-suspects’ territory.
As The Athletic reported earlier this month, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres and Kessie are among the first-teamers Xavi would be willing to sell to free up salary space and raise funds for new signings. This is still the case, even if the manager has not held personal meetings with them yet to reveal his plans. Those close to the players say this will be a key step for them, as it will help them understand their true standing within the squad.
Mendes, who is also Fati’s representative, paid a visit to Barcelona last week where he told local media the winger wants to stay at the club. That suggests La Liga’s new champions should not count on selling the 20-year-old to ease their problems in the market.
Then there are the players who were already out of Xavi’s plans a year ago but are still on the payroll and so still contribute to the club’s inflated wage bill — returning loanees Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and Dest.
A few weeks ago, Lenglet’s permanent transfer to Tottenham Hotspur was seen as very likely, for an expected fee of €10m. But on Thursday, Spurs, now under new head coach Ange Postecoglou, announced the 27-year-old centre-back would leave them at the end of the month following his season-long loan.
Umtiti’s solid year with Lecce in Serie A makes him more appealing to potential suitors than he was this time in 2022, but he still comes with a hefty contract. His desire would be a return to boyhood club Lyon, but a deal there is unlikely to be completed soon. Dest’s situation is even more complicated, as there is no significant interest in the United States international.
Then there are the youngsters made in La Masia who also spent last season on loan: Abde Ezzalzouli, Nico Gonzalez and Alex Collado. They could all be sold if the right offers come in, with the latter not in Xavi’s plans at all.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
