Potential Summer Transfers for FC Barcelona

Even though FC Barcelona has been banned from the summer transfer window, they are expected to be active on the market.

FC Barcelona have won the treble in the season of 2014/2015, which means that they claimed the Spanish Copa del Rey, as well as the Liga BBVA and the Champions League.

• Xavi’s departure marks the end of an era
• The defensive line needs improvement
• The attacking section needs no refreshment

It is obvious that they have one of the strongest squads in Europe and in the world at the moment.

However, standing at the top and letting your rivals pass by you is a major mistake. That is why the Catalans will keep trying to improve their squad with top quality players this summer, even though the new players will only be allowed to be registered from January.

Xavi’s departure is the sign of a new era

Xavier Hernández has been playing for FC Barcelona since the day he was born, and according to the reports of Spanish gambling news, his departure could be the beginning of a new era in the Catalan capital. He was a key member in the successes of the Spanish side in the past few years, and also, he was the captain.

However, by now he has decided to leave his team and join Qatar-based Al Sadd, the team for which former Real Madrid legend Raúl Gónzález Blanco also joined after leaving FC Schalke 04. Luis Enrique is now searching for the perfect midfielder to replace the legendary player, who used to be the engine of the team.

According to many rumours in the media, Barcelona have already reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund and the German international Ilkay Gündögan will join the Blaugrana. However, his signature is a bit of a controversial decision as he just recovered recently from a serious injury which took him out for months.

The other names to strengthen Barcelona’s midfield are players who are considered as potential transfer targets for most of the European top clubs. Paul Pogbaa from Juventus and Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain would both be very welcomed in the Spanish team, however signing them seems very unlikely as they cost a lot and they would have to wait until January to be able to make their debut.

The defensive line still needs improvements

Barcelona have been struggling with finding the perfect balance of defensive players in the squad for years. They were lacking central defenders and it happened way too many times that defensive midfielders had to play as centre backs due to injuries or bans, which lead to many mistakes in front of the goal.

For example, according to mobile betting sites, Javier Mascherano was one of the best players of the World Cup in 2014 as he was allowed to play in his natural position, on the midfield. Yet he is mostly used as a central defender in Barcelona. His pair, Gerard Piqué was out of form for a long time, even though he has gone back to the top by the end of the season.

In addition, last season’s capture of Thomas Vermaalen was a huge flop as he was always injured and played only two matches throughout the season. That is why Barcelona are believed to be interested in signing central defenders, and not just to have the quantity, as they would purchase top quality players.

According to some crazy rumors, Sergio Ramos offered himself to his greatest rival, and is interested in signing for FC Barcelona because he failed to reach an agreement with Real Madrid to accept his demands in a new contract, which would double his salary. However, it is very unlikely that “the hero of the Décima” would join the Catalans.

Much more likely that top class German central defender, Borussia Dortmund’s Matts Hummels will finally join the Blaugrana. He has been linked with a move to the Catalan capital for years but this summer might mean an actual transfer for him as his team failed to qualify for the Champions League which could mean they need to let go of their best players – the likes of Hummels and Gündogan, for example.

The attacking trio works just fine

The attacking trio was the main cause in the success of the team this year. After a few weak performances, Lionel Messi has found his best form again, which can in itself mean trophies for a team. Not only he scored many important goals, but he was also the one who created clear cut chances to their mates.

In addition, he was helped by players like Luis Suárez and Neymar. The Uruguayan needed some time to adapt, but by the end of the season he was playing as best as he could, and Neymar showed signs of constant improvement as well. Strikers and attackers are not being lacked at Barcelona.

However, Gerard Deulofeu might leave the club during the summer to join his Premier League participant Everton, where he already spent a season on loan. According to online gambling sites in Spain, Barca will only sign players for the bench if they sign any, as they keep trusting their top-class attacking players.