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Barcelona are preparing to face Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday, December 21, at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Hansi Flick's team are leading the title race after 18 games, tied on points with Los Rojiblancos, who are second and have a game in hand.
Meanwhile, the Catalans have made a decision on their activity in the transfer market in January. Elsewhere, the Spanish giants have received a boost in their pursuit of Jamal Musiala.
On that note, let's look at the major Barcelona transfer stories from December 19, 2024.
Barcelona's January plans revealed
Barcelona have decided not to invest in the squad in January, according to journalist Gabriel Sans. The Catalans would ideally like to strengthen their full-back position as well as sign a new center forward in January.
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However, their poor finances are posing a problem to their plans. As such, the LaLiga giants are ready to rely on their current roster until the end of the campaign, unless an emergency arises.
Barcelona believe they have enough depth in their squad to see them through the season. However, they remain open to exits in the winter. Ansu Fati and Eric Garcia are peripheral figures at Camp Nou and will be offloaded for the right price.
Catalans receive Jamal Musiala boost
Jamal Musiala has revealed that he supported Barcelona as a kid. The German midfielder will enter the final year of his contract with Bayern Munich next summer and hasn't agreed to a new deal yet.
The Bavarians are reportedly planning to hand him a new deal soon, but that hasn't stopped the Catalans from pursuing the player. The LaLiga giants have had their eyes on the 21-year-old for a while, but a move hasn't materialized due to their poor financial situation.
Speaking recently, as cited by acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Musiala added that he idolized Lionel Messi.
“FC Barcelona was my favourite team and because of that they were always my reference. On the back of my shirts as a kid, the name was almost always Messi. I also had one with Neymar, but Messi was my hero, my favourite player,” said Musiala.
Jamal Musiala has registered 13 goals and five assists from 21 games across competitions this season for Bayern Munich.
Joan Laporta wants Frenkie de Jong stay
Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants to keep Frenkie de Jong at Camp Nou, according to journalist Alfredo Martinez. The Dutch midfielder will enter the final 18 months of his contract with the Catalans in January and his future remains up in the air.
Previous reports have suggested that the club are ready to cash in on him in 2025. De Jong has suffered with injuries of late and is no longer a first choice under Hansi Flick.
The player is also among the highest earners at Camp Nou, which is why the club could be open to his departure. Any sale is likely to raise a decent fee which could help ease the LaLiga giants' financial burden. However, Laporta wants to tie the 27-year-old down to a new deal and keep him at the club for as long as possible.
