Why Barcelona should change their strategy in the 2020 summer transfer window

Barcelona have not enjoyed the best of times in the last few years and are currently fighting to retain their La Liga title, with arch-rivals Real Madrid putting up a genuine challenge for the domestic crown.

Horrible transfer strategy, poor team management, and a weak board are few of the many reasons why the Catalan giants are struggling this season. With key players out due to injury and others not fully fit, the upcoming matches could be the real challenge for the side. The lack of depth in the squad is halting any kind of rotation within the team. As a result, most of their players often look tired and are seen putting up lacklustre and uninspiring performances.

The Blaugrana even failed to strengthen their squad with any top signing in the January transfer window. However, they do have an eye on the future as they have made agreements to sign two quality youngsters. One of them is 20-year-old Portuguese sensation, Francisco Trincao, who fans and the media have described as the “new Cristiano Ronaldo.” The other player is Brazilian midfielder Matheus Fernandes, who is currently spending the season on loan with Real Valladolid. Both players will join the team in the summer.

Barcelona are likely to dip in the market for a striker in the upcoming transfer window as they continue their search for a suitable replacement for Luis Suarez, who is now 33. Lautaro Martinez is one of the most anticipated picks for the striker’s role and has been heavily linked with the Catalan outfit for a while now. The 22-year old, who has a buyout clause of €111 million, is well-suited to the club’s style of football. Many other options are also available in the market, with players like Timo Werner available at a much cheaper price of €60 million.

🎶 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝒪𝓃 🎶 pic.twitter.com/2ltYSFYdH5

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 6, 2020

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Quique Setién's side also need some reinforcements in defence as the team has conceded 31 goals in La Liga so far in this season, a record that is poorer than that of 15th-placed Real Valladolid. AC Florentina’s Nikola Milenkovic could be the man to solve their defensive miseries and is viewed as the ideal replacement for Gerard Pique. The Serbian defender stands at 195 centimetres and boasts of superb aerial ability and positioning. He possesses great technique when defending on his own, reads the game well, with his speed also allowing him to play as a right-back.

The reigning Spanish champions should also keep an eye on Napoli midfielder, Fabian Ruiz, as he is an attacking midfielder with a lot of creativity. He shares a good relationship with Setien and they know each other’s working style, so his inclusion will be good for the team.

Barcelona desperately need to improve their squad depth in the summer transfer window with some quality signings. The likes of Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal are linked with a move away from the Camp Nou to Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan respectively and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them leave this summer.

Apart from this, the club should also find buyers for Philippe Coutinho, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich as his sale will add a much-needed amount of money to their funds to command a reshuffle in the summer.

FC Barcelona's legendary trio - Neymar, Suarez, Messi

The Spanish media is also predictably linking Neymar with his ex-club once again. Many players are believed to want their ex-teammate back but the Brazilian’s transfer would not be easy. PSG is demanding a huge amount of €170 million to let him leave which means a move to Catalunya is almost impossible. The club should, therefore, move on from the player and focus on the plethora of other available transfer options.

If Barcelona want to dominate Europe and win the Champions League again, they should focus on building a balanced team instead of spending record sums of money.

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