With Hansi Flick taking over as the new manager after Xavi’s tenure at Barcelona, it is crucial for the team to address key issues that could impact their progress next season.
While toppling Real Madrid from the La Liga summit is the ultimate goal, there are several internal matters that need attention. Here are five essential areas the Barcelona board and Flick must focus on:
Financial Recovery
First and foremost, Barcelona need to restore their financial stability.
Achieving this requires re-establishing the 1:1 financial fair play rule in La Liga as this rule would allow the club to spend as much money on new signings as it saves through player sales and salary reductions.
Currently, Barcelona are not operating under this rule. The quickest way to regain it is by concluding the ‘Barça Studios’ project.
Right now, the club is optimistic about securing new investors and restructuring operations to raise the necessary €100 million.
If the club meets its financial goals for the 2023-24 season, they could achieve the 1:1 rule, crucial for strengthening the squad for the next season. However, time is of the essence.
Resolving Player Transfers
Barcelona have several players returning from loan spells, namely, Eric Garcia, Pablo Torre, Ansu Fati, Julian Araujo, Sergino Dest, and Clement Lenglet. whose futures need to be decided.
The club must determine whether to reintegrate them into the team or seek new loans or sales to ease their financial difficulties.
Additionally, the club needs to address the situations of Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix, whose loans are ending.
It is said that Barcelona hope to retain them on similar terms without incurring significant costs. Flick will need to carefully consider all aspects when deciding the future of these players, given their unique talents and the club’s financial constraints.
Signing Key Players
To compete at the highest level, Barcelona need to sign two standout players.
This will likely involve making some tough sales, even though Flick prefers not to sell key players to major European rivals.
The club requires a left winger who can create opportunities and make a difference when the team’s collective play falls short. They also need a midfielder who can control the tempo, distribute the ball precisely, and provide defensive solidity.
The top targets are Joshua Kimmich and Nico Williams.
Kimmich, who previously played under Flick at Bayern Munich, would bring quality, experience, and leadership to the midfield alongside Frenkie de Jong if he stays.
Meanwhile, Nico has tremendous potential as he can excel on the wing, assist, and score goals, complementing Lamine Yamal on the other flank. These additions could significantly boost Barcelona’s competitiveness.
Building a Strong Starting XI
Flick’s task is to activate a squad that has occasionally underperformed under Xavi and establish a competitive starting eleven to challenge Europe’s best teams.
He must define a clear playing philosophy and foster team cohesion, especially among veteran players.
Identifying a consistent starting XI and a flexible system to adapt to different game situations will be crucial as maintaining the club’s distinctive style of play is essential to keep the fans onside.
Leveraging La Masia
Beyond tactics and starting line-ups, Barcelona must maintain a strong commitment to their youth academy, La Masia.
Flick must trust the young talents trained at La Masia, such as Pau Cubarsi, Hector Fort, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal, as the foundation of his project.
The youth academy represents the future of the club and embodies Barcelona’s playing philosophy. The fans’ connection with these young players is a vital aspect of the club’s identity.
By integrating these homegrown talents with established players like Pedri and Ronald Araujo, who joined the club at a young age and are passionate about it, Flick can build a team with a strong Blaugrana identity.
