5 reasons why Barcelona can win La Liga (2021-22)

#3 Ronald Koeman's desire for redemption

Koeman overseeing Barcelona in a La Liga match

Following abysmal results in the Champions League, La Liga as well as the Copa del Rey, Barcelona sacked then-manager Quique Setien just seven months after his appointment. Without spending much time, the Barca hierarchy granted the elusive job to former legend Ronald Koeman, to fans' dismay.

The Dutch player-turned-coach has had average managing spells at Valencia, Southampton and Everton prior to his nomination as Barcelona boss. Not much was expected from the 58-year-old coach, but Koeman managed to steady the ship under immense pressure. He even guided Barcelona to their 31st Spanish cup triumph in his debut season.

Like him or loathe him, few have dealt with as much adversity as Ronald Koeman in 12 months at Barcelona:-Takes over after historic 8-2 humiliation-Messi burofax-President is removed, nearly 6 months pass before Laporta-2 weeks of uncertainty over job-Messi leaves. pic.twitter.com/TDSkDaloUN

— Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) August 9, 2021

Subject to much of the fans' scrutiny and speculation, Koeman has at least one more season to prove his worth. He has shown that he is not afraid to experiment with the squad and commands the team as a manager should.

Koeman has the obvious benefit of this being his second season at the club's helm, when new managers usually produce much more success. The Dutch leader is very much capable of bringing the La Liga title to Camp Nou, provided he gets his formations right.

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#2 Minimal expectations in the Champions League

FC Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Round Of 16 Leg One

After suffering consecutive humiliations on the European grandstand, Barcelona were dumped out of the Champions League last season by Paris Saint-Germain. The La Liga giants were comprehensively beaten in the round-of-16 phase, bowing out of the tournament in the first knockout stage for the first time in 14 years.

Subsequently, Barcelona have lost their status as one of the favorites to win the UCL title, at least for the time being. However, with less pressure to perform on the continental front, the Catalan giants can focus most of their resources to win silverware at the domestic level.

Even if Barcelona crash out of the prestigious competition relatively early in the 2021-22 season, such a result would hardly be considered a disaster, considering their current predicament.

Therefore, this could in turn be a blessing in disguise. With more rest and motivation to succeed, the Blaugrana can aim to fabricate a formidable La Liga campaign, restoring their supremacy in Spain.

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#1 Barcelona's transfer deals ahead of La Liga season

Garcia returned to La Liga and Barcelona

Having spent a colossal €1.05b on transfer fees since securing their fifth Champions League title in 2015, Barcelona find themselves engulfed in debts towering over the billion dollar mark. But if the current transfer window is anything to go by, things under Joan Laporta seem to be taking a turn in the right direction.

The audacious president has managed to land four first-team players, with three of them costing a combined fee of zero. While Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero bring some much-needed quality to the attack, the return of Eric Garcia will only strengthen Barcelona's shaky defense.

The shrewd capture of Emerson Royal, for an embarrassingly low fee of €9m takes the cherry, bolstering the defensive flanks with some necessary depth.

🏆 The new signings with the Gamper trophy #fcblive [fcb] pic.twitter.com/Ma8228HUxp

— FCBarcelonaFl (@FCBarcelonaFl) August 7, 2021

Moreover, the surprise acquisition of 18-year-old Yusuf Demir for the B-team is looking like the perfect deal for the future, with the young Austrian impressing greatly in Barcelona's pre-season.

Despite the departure of Lionel Messi and the injury to Sergio Aguero, Barcelona will feel they have made the right acquisitions to be serious contenders for the La Liga title.

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