As Barcelona prepare to head to the United States this week for a preseason tour that will see them play Manchester City, Real Madrid and AC Milan, work is ongoing behind the scenes to improve the squad for new coach Hansi Flick after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign that ended with the dismissal of Xavi Hernández.
Barça ultimately finished last season in second place in LaLiga behind champions Real Madrid, though minnows Girona (part of City Football Group) did run them close. That late surge secured a spot in the Spanish Supercopa -- and the €5-7 million financial boost that comes with qualification -- but a trophy-less year can never be considered a success for Barça.
In many ways, the first big decision of the summer has already been made. Xavi was sacked in May and former Bayern Munich and Germany manager Flick replaced him. The swift call on the coaching position enabled Barça to plan for the new season with some degree of certainty as Flick, sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta work on potential signings. Priorities have understandably changed under Flick, who was officially presented on Thursday, but understandably turned down the chance to open up on transfer plans. Sources, though, have told ESPN that a left winger -- ideally Athletic Club's Nico Williams -- is now the club's most pressing concern, although another midfielder and a full-back are also wanted.
How much business Barça can do, though, depends on their financial situation. Players need to leave and new revenue must be raised before they can register additions with LaLiga, although that does not prevent them from making transfers.
Ahead of what may prove another hectic transfer window at the Catalan club, ESPN has broken down the state of the squad, finances, the summer's priorities, and any potential departures.
2023-24 record: LaLiga, runners-up (25-7-5); UEFA Champions League, quarterfinals; Copa del Rey, quarterfinals; Spanish Supercopa, runners-up.
The big issue
Barça primarily need to address the balance in midfield, which has been askew since Sergio Busquets joined Inter Miami in 2023. Oriol Romeu was brought in as a low-cost replacement, though Xavi soon lost faith in him, so much so that centre-back Andreas Christensen ended the season as a makeshift defensive midfielder in an attempt to prevent the team being so fragile in transitions. Sources told ESPN that before his dismissal, Xavi wanted both Real Sociedad's Martín Zubimendi (who won Euro 2024 with Spain this summer) and Guido Rodríguez, who remains a free agent after his contract expired at Real Betis.
However, following the arrival of Flick, interest in Zubimendi and Rodríguez has cooled. Flick has preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation in previous jobs (Bayern Munich, German national team) and the thinking is that Barça do have the players to play that system, with youngster Marc Casadó being given a chance in preseason.
"At the moment, I am really happy with what I see [in defensive midfield]," Flick insisted Thursday. "I think we have players in the team that can play this position really well. All the players know what they have to do. It could also be one of the younger players, from La Masia."
Regardless, another midfielder would be welcomed.
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) is a long-term target, while Everton's Amadou Onana was scouted and considered before his move to Aston Villa. La Real's Mikel Merino could also be available as he moves into the final year of his deal in San Sebastián.
It is clear, though, that Barça's strategy has shifted. Sources tell ESPN that the club's focus is not to address the squad's biggest issue, but rather the pursuit of Williams, Spain's breakout Euro 2024 star alongside Lamine Yamal. Laporta wants a signing that will excite supporters in response to Kylian Mbappé's arrival at Madrid.
State of the squad
There are shortcomings in this Barça squad, but there are also few teams in Europe with as much young talent.
"The best news from this season is [the youngsters]: Pau [Cubarsí], Lamine Yamal, when we recover Pedri fully, Hector Fort ... this generation is the best news from this season," Xavi told ESPN in May.
Yamal's stock has only risen since. The 17-year-old was one of the stand-out performers as Spain won Euro 2024, where he was named Young Player of the Tournament. "He can give us the great moments," Flick said. "But he also can improve and make things better, this is also our part, but he's in a fantastic way."
To those names, you can add Gavi, Fermín López and Alejandro Balde.
In the recent past, Barça have also lacked players in the peak years of their career, though that is slowly changing. Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, defenders Jules Koundé, Ronald Araújo and Christensen, midfielder Frenkie de Jong, and forwards Raphinha and Ferran Torres are all at an age when they should be looking to take responsibility and lead by example. Ilkay Gündogan and Robert Lewandowski add a winning degree of experience.
Barça boast the base of a decent squad despite a disappointing season, with an ever-improving mix of youngsters, veterans and players in or approaching the best years of their careers. They're especially well-stocked at centre-back and have a good mix of midfielders, even if it remains true that they lacked balance in the part of the pitch last season.
Hansi Flick has his first press conference as the new Barcelona manager.
Offseason finances
Barça's biggest problem is their financial situation. The club's debt, including the financing for the new Spotify Camp Nou -- their 100,000-seater stadium that is being revamped -- is approaching €3 billion. They were more than €200 million in excess of their annual LaLiga-imposed spending limit last season, which was capped at €204m. That is roughly the amount Barça can spend on salaries and the amortisation of transfer fees across the year. Until they are within that limit, which will increase if they improve revenue or transfer players out for big fees, they are subject to certain restrictions.
As it stands, they can currently invest only around 50% of any money they save or raise on new signings. The exact percentage depends on the size of the saving; however, Laporta and LaLiga president Javier Tebas have both expressed optimism recently that this summer Barça will be able to operate at what the league call the 1:1 ratio, which means investing 100% of anything they save or raise in improving the squad. Even in that scenario, though, it's worth highlighting they still need to raise money through new revenue streams or player departures to register any incomings with LaLiga.
The top priority
Barça's immediate priority is signing Williams, sources have told ESPN. There is a long-standing interest in the Athletic forward, but the desire to sign him has never been stronger. He signed a new contract with Athletic last year, but his deal includes a €58m release clause and Barça are working on being able to execute it and register him with LaLiga as soon as possible. His performances for Spain this summer, coupled with his outstanding relationship with Yamal on and off the pitch, ultimately led Barça to switch their focus from a midfielder.
Williams scored twice at the Euros, including in the final. For Athletic last year, he netted eight goals and assisted 19 in 37 appearances, and despite playing elsewhere in Spain, Williams is already a massive presence around Barcelona. There is various graffiti in the city featuring him and Yamal by local artist TV Boy, while his image is plastered all over the Nike shop on Passeig de Gràcia, just two doors up from the Barça Store. Sources detail that Laporta views him as a strategic signing who can improve Barça on the pitch, boost their image off it, and fuel optimism among supporters ahead of the new season. Laporta reiterated on Thursday at Flick's presentation that Barça can afford a signing of this magnitude -- even LaLiga chief Tebas says they're not far away.
Other team needs
As detailed above, Barça still need a more defensive-minded midfielder. In the more advanced midfield positions, they are well covered with De Jong, Gundogan, López, Pedri and Gavi offering a range of options. Centre-back is also a strong position with Araujo, Christensen, Kounde, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez and Mika Faye all viable. The full-back position needs analysis, but not necessarily strengthening from outside. Kounde could continue at right-back, left-back Balde will return from injury, and Fort can provide cover on both flanks.
Decisions, though, need to be made on João Cancelo and Julián Araujo.
Cancelo's loan from Manchester City expired in June, but sources have confirmed to ESPN that Barça want to bring him back. Mexico international Julián Araujo, meanwhile, has returned from a relatively successful loan spell with Las Palmas. He is considered as someone who could add depth in the full-back positions. As things stand, Williams, Cancelo and a midfielder would represent a good summer.
There is also reported interest in Spain forward Dani Olmo, and while ESPN previously revealed Dutch international Xavi Simons was being monitored, things have cooled with the arrival of Flick. However, it suggests that if a deal is possible, another attack-minded player could also be targeted.
Departures
Sam Marsden breaks down the challenges facing Hansi Flick as new Barcelona manager.
One way to fund signings is to transfer players out. Marcos Alonso has already departed as a free agent, with club captain Sergi Roberto also expected to exit: his contract expired in June. He has been offered a new deal, but there are no guarantees if or when he will be registered with the league. The lack of movement is forcing him to consider offers, with a source telling ESPN there is interest from Girona, FC Porto, Ajax Amsterdam, Fiorentina and a Premier League club.
Sources say midfielder Romeu is likely to leave, too, just a year after signing from Girona for €3.5m, the only fee Barça paid last summer. Meanwhile, Sergiño Dest has already joined PSV Eindhoven, Chadi Riad has signed for Crystal Palace, and the other players out on loan last year -- Eric García, Ansu Fati, Pablo Torre, Clément Lenglet -- will also be encouraged to find new clubs.
The only possible exception is Fati. Flick said he has been "unbelievable" in training this month, suggesting the door was open to staying, but a foot injury has ruled him out of the U.S tour. Given his injury history, that could fuel doubts once again about what path is best to take with the 21-year-old.
With Barça pushing to sign Williams, João Félix is unlikely to return after his loan from Atlético Madrid expired. All those exits will not raise major money for Barça, though, and sources explain the club would consider offers for a large part of the squad. Youngsters like Cubarsí, Gavi and Yamal are among the players considered completely unavailable, sources explain, but there are few players with that tag. There is an internal debate about whether January arrival Vitor Roque, who cost the club an initial €31m, should be part of the squad moving forward. The other options are to loan the young striker out or look to move him on permanently just six months after signing him.
ESPN have previously revealed that Barça could look to cash in on defender Ronald Araújo, too, although an injury sustained at the Copa América while playing for Uruguay has ended that possibility. The centre-back will be out for around four months after undergoing hamstring surgery on Monday. His contract expires in 2026, meaning the debate around his future will resurface when he returns at the end of the year. Martínez, Christensen, Kounde, De Jong, Raphinha and Torres are among the other squad members who could bring in sizable transfer fees, although sources say none of them are keen to leave.