FC Barcelona have had an eventful summer transfer window this term. And although the market is set to slam shut tonight, it’s unlikely they will do any more business. The Catalans most notably missed out on their pursuit of Neymar. But, they did sign a host of star players, including Antoine Griezmann.
On the other hand, Barcelona went through a major overhaul by selling some of their key players. It is a list that includes Malcom and Jasper Cillessen while Philippe Coutinho joined Bayern Munich on a season-long loan deal. In this article, we will rate Barca’s activity in the market by evaluating the viability of their summer ins and outs.
Arrivals
Signing Griezmann against the wish of Lionel Messi and some other Barcelona stars was a massive risk. But, it’s a risk that could well pay off. The Frenchman has a vast amount of experience in Spanish football, having featured in 324 La Liga matches. He also played an integral role in France’s World Cup triumph last summer. But most importantly, he can offer versatility going forward as he can play either as a winger or a number nine.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the acquisition of Griezmann could turn out to be a masterstroke from Barcelona. But, he wasn’t the only big-money arrival as the Catalan outfit also signed Frenkie de Jong. The midfielder arrived from Ajax for a fee of €75 million.
The arrival of de Jong was a big step towards the future for Barcelona as it significantly reduced the importance of Ivan Rakitic. The Dutchman is unlikely to find any difficulties and is pretty familiar with the possession-based style of football – making him a sensible signing for Barcelona.
Other arrivals include Neto, who replaced the unsettled Cillessen as the club’s primary alternative to Marc Andre ter Stegen. The ex-Juventus keeper has a lot of experience and is a sensible acquisition. As for Junior Firpo, his development may be halted with a move to Barcelona. He will play second fiddle to Jordi Alba, meaning he is unlikely to receive regular game-time.
Rating: 9/10
Departures
The departure of Coutinho was a massive blunder from Barcelona, especially having missed out on Neymar. It means the Spanish giants will have to rely on the services of Ousmane Dembele, with no significant alternatives. As for the Brazilian, he has already shown glimpses of his talent in the Bundesliga and could be a success at Bayern.
The decision of offloading Malcom was a considerable decision too. But, Barca deserve a lot of credit for recouping the €41 million they had spent on him the summer before.
Moving on Cillessen, on the other hand, was good riddance. The Dutchman was unsettled at Barcelona due to his lack of game-time. But, a straight swap with Neto made sense for all four parties involved.
The departure of Andre Gomes also made sense as he had no future at the club. Instead, his €25 million move to Everton helped Barcelona fund moves for their transfer targets. Same cannot be said for Paco Alcacer, however. The Spaniard’s contract was made permanent by BVB at the end of last year, for a fee of €21 million.
Alcacer could have been an excellent alternative for Luis Suarez. But, with him gone, the Catalans had to spend a fortune on Griezmann while scouring the market for an out and out number nine.
Other departures include Thomas Vermaelen, Marc Cucurella and Juan Miranda among many others. None of them really had a future at Barcelona. Thus their move away from Camp Nou made sense.
Rating: 6/10
