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After almost a year in pursuit, Barcelona were finally able to get their mitts on Dutch forward and long-time transfer target Memphis Depay in July 2021.
The Netherlands international moved to Barca from Lyon as a free agent, signing a two-year deal. Considering the Blaugrana were strapped for cash back then, Depay was nothing short of a godsent for them.
Following Lionel Messi’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain in August, Depay was expected to become Barcelona’s key man in attack. The forward settled in nicely and quite easily started living up to the billing.
He bagged eight La Liga goals by the end of November, emerging as the team’s leading goalscorer. In the Champions League, however, Depay cut a frustrating figure. He failed to register a single goal or assist as the Blaugrana crashed out of the group stages for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
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Since December, the former Manchester United player has only appeared twice for Barcelona due to injuries, which is concerning for Xavi, to say the least. As per reports, the Catalan outfit are currently considering shipping Depay off in January itself in order to make room for future acquisitions. We are not expecting the deal to go through, but it is clear that Depay has faltered in recent times.
With that in mind, we have curated a list of five forwards who probably would have served the club better over the last six months.
Here are five footballers Barcelona could have signed instead of the Lyon star last summer not restricted to the forward position:
#5 David Alaba
Xavi’s side are desperate for a versatile full-back at the moment and David Alaba is arguably one of the best in the business.
Had the Blaugrana been a little proactive and pursued Alaba when he became a free agent last summer, the Austrian could’ve been their crowned jewel.
Instead, it was Barcelona’s bitterest rivals Real Madrid who went for the player last summer and signed him successfully from Bayern Munich.
Alaba has been in blistering form for Los Blancos this season, helping them top the La Liga table with 50 points from 22 games. He has primarily played in the center of defense and has more than filled the massive void left by club legend Sergio Ramos. He has played 29 games across competitions and contributing with six goal involvements and helping them keep 12 clean sheets in those games.
#4 Raheem Sterling
Considering Ansu Fati’s injury history and Ousmane Dembele’s contract situation, the Camp Nou outfit could’ve benefitted from a winger last summer.
Raheem Sterling, who was in a dicey situation at Manchester City during the summer transfer window, would have been the perfect fit.
Of course, the move would’ve been complicated due to the club's financial situation, but we still believe Barcelona missed a good opportunity there.
It is believed the La Liga outfit are still keeping an eye on the England international. Sterling has been in good form and recently picked up the 'Premier League Player of the Month' award for December.
But whether Sterling would like to follow former City teammate Ferran Torres to the Camp Nou is anybody’s guess at the moment.
#3 Georginio Wijnaldum
Except for Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona do not have any experienced or proven midfielders at their disposal.
Gavi and Pedri are exceptional players but do not have the necessary experience to regularly influence matches at the highest level. Busquets, too, is in the twilight of his career and rarely produces world-class performances.
To remedy the situation, Barcelona were reportedly courting Liverpool central midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum last summer.
The Dutch international was out of contract at the time and could have joined Barcelona for free. Ultimately, the Blaugrana took their eye off the ball and saw Paris Saint-Germain swoop in for the player.
The 31-year-old has played 25 games for the Ligue 1 side this season, pitching in with three goals and two assists.
#2 Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez has been on Barcelona’s radar for a while now but is no closer to making his move official. The Argentina international is an excellent centre-forward in his own right and could fit into Xavi’s system effortlessly.
As per reports, Martinez was on the club’s wishlist last summer, but they ultimately went for Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay instead.
Martinez, who is currently rated at €80 million, signed a four-year contract extension with Inter back in October. His 11 Serie A goals have helped the Nerazzurri top the table with four points and a game in hand.
Had Barcelona pounced on him last summer, they could have signed the player for a reduced fee. Unfortunately, even the discounted fee was too much for the 26-time La Liga champions at the time and they pulled out of the deal.
#1 Dusan Vlahovic
Fiorentina ace Dusan Vlahovic is being courted by some of the best clubs in the world right now. The Serbian striker has scored 17 goals in Serie A this season and is currently the leading goalscorer of the Italian top-division.
The 21-year-old striker is capable of improving any team in the world, especially a team that’s struggling to find the back of the net regularly.
If rumors are to be believed, Fiorentina offered their prized jewel to the Catalan club for only €18 million last summer. The player’s agent Darko Ristic reportedly had a proposal from Fiorentina which would’ve seen Vlahovic join Barcelona on loan in 2020 before moving permanently.
Had Barcelona accepted the deal, they could have signed the Serbian international for only €18 million in the summer of 2021. With him in their ranks, the Camp Nou club would’ve surely been a legit contender for the La Liga title this season.
