Barcelona have completed the signing of Mike van Beijnen from NAC Breda. The Dutch defender has signed a two-year deal at the Catalan club and will be joining the Barcelona B team for the next term.
The Blaugrana, despite their successful defence of the La Liga trophy, have faced severe criticism for their inability to bring in enough talented players who could give their side stability for the future. The signing of Mike van Beijnen from Breda could be a statement of intent for the La Liga champions, as they look towards strengthening their setup for the future.
Barcelona’s Defensive Setback
Barcelona faced a serious setback in their defensive setup in the last term, with the likes of Thomas Vermaelen and Samuel Umtiti missing chunks of the season due to injury worries. This left the Catalan giants in a position of disarray. The performances of the likes of Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet were good enough to win them the La Liga trophy. However, both in the Copa Del Rey and the Champions League, they had to face disappointment due to the incompetence of their defenders.
The Blaugrana were ousted by Liverpool in the semi-final as they were unable to defend a lead of 3-0 from the first leg and were beaten by 4-0 in the second leg at Anfield. Though they made it to the final of the Copa Del Rey, their defenders let the opponents Valencia win the trophy by 2-1. Apart from the centre backs, the full backs (especially the right back) were unable to make a mark even after repeated opportunities.
What Can He Bring To The Table?
Both Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo were unable to do justice to their selections, leaving the Barcelona management in dire straits as far as the right backs position was concerned. In addition to that, the injury woes of Sergi Roberto saw him miss a few matches as well. This has led to the addition of a new right back, and van Beijnen could be the right candidate to come into the first team in the near future.
Though the player is yet to make a significant stride in the first team setup, his tenacity and ability to run with the ball down the right flank might come very handy for the Blaugrana in the long run. The 20-year-old right back has the whole future ahead of him and can turn out to be an excellent backup for Roberto.
The Right Decision?
The Blaugrana brought in several players in the last two transfer markets, most of whom have not been able to do justice to their reputation so far. The inclusion of van Beijnen, however, looks like a long term deal for the reigning La Liga champions, who have reportedly put a buyout clause of £89m on him.
With Semedo almost set to leave the Nou Camp this summer, the onus would be on Roberto to play in the right-back position. However, now that van Beijnen has been brought into the side, there might be a chance that the youngster is included into the first team squad sooner than expected, which might turn out to be a good decision for Valverde and co.
