SETTABLOID

Following the arrival of Hansi Flick, Barcelona appear to have hit momentary brakes in their pursuit of Guido Rodriguez. Not to mention, the club’s agreement with the midfielder expired on May 31.

But instead of trying to secure a new agreement with the Argentine, Barcelona have shifted their sights to other alternatives in the market, including Valencia starlet Javi Guerra.

Barcelona interested in Mikel Merino

However, Guerra and Rodriguez are not the only midfield options Barcelona are targeting at the moment.

According to Gianluigi Longari, the Catalans appear to rate Mikel Merino quite highly, with the Real Sociedad star emerging as one of the potential midfield targets for the club.

Formerly of Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United, Merino has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in Spain, owing to his positioning skills and ability to orchestrate the play in the middle of the park.

At age 27, Merino has played football in England, Germany and Spain, racking up significant experience at the highest level. He has notably made almost 200 appearances in La Liga and 20 national caps to his name.

Can Barcelona afford Merino?

Merino’s experience, coupled with his technical and leadership abilities make him an appealing target for Barcelona.

Merino joined Real Sociedad for a fee of just €12 million in 2018. But his value has skyrocketed since and the midfielder is more than likely to cost more than €30 million.

There are a few factors which may aid Barcelona, however. Merino’s contract, for one, expires in 2025, meaning if Real Sociedad fail to sell him this summer, they may have to run the risk of seeing the player leave for free next year.

Real Sociedad, therefore, could face pressure to sell their midfielder in the coming summer. Barcelona, to that end, could emerge as a potential destination, although a lot may depend on how much spending La Liga offers to the Catalan outfit this summer.

Barcelona’s newly-appointed head coach Hansi Flick faces a busy summer ahead. The German will play a key role in not only creating the base for his new-look Barça squad but also properly assessing the current options at hand.

For a while, it was believed that Flick would not be fortunate enough to have Gavi – one of Barcelona’s most talented players – in action from the start of next season.

Big boost for Barcelona

However, according to MARCA, Barcelona fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Gavi’s recovery from his serious injury is progressing well.

The young midfielder is expected to be available for the beginning of the season, bolstering the Blaugrana squad.

However, there’s a note of caution alongside the positive news. While Gavi will be physically present, it’s understood he’ll need time to regain his peak performance level and recapture the form he displayed before the injury.

This period of readjustment is to be expected, given the severity of his injury and the natural recovery process.

One would expect that the club, medical staff, and Gavi himself are all taking a measured approach. Rushing him back to full throttle, after all, could risk further setbacks – something the club cannot afford.

Instead, the focus will be on a gradual return to form, ensuring Gavi is fully fit and ready to contribute meaningfully on the pitch.

Barcelona looking at alternatives

It is fair to conclude that Barcelona have truly missed Gavi’s services on the pitch. His absence has hit Barça harder than expected, which is why the club are not prioritising the addition of a new midfielder with a similar profile to Gavi.

As per reports earlier in the day, Barcelona are prioritising a move for Valencia starlet Javi Guerra, who shares a similar profile to Gavi.

Should Barcelona succeed in the pursuit, Guerra will likely serve as an alternative to Gavi, though he would mainly compete with other midfielders for the number six position.

In the meantime, though, Barcelona will look to ensure that the club’s economic problems are behind them so that Gavi can be registered for the season ahead.

Not more than a few weeks ago, Barcelona were poised to make Guido Rodriguez their first major signing of the summer ahead.

The Real Betis midfielder was supposed to join the club on a free transfer, with his current contract expiring at the end of June.

However, ever since the appointment of Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s deal to sign Rodriguez has stalled, even though the German had supposedly given Barça the green light to go after the Argentine.

Recent reports indicate that Barcelona’s agreed deal with Rodriguez had expired on May 31, meaning the club must now secure a new agreement with the player, who is open to talking to other clubs.

Barcelona shift their focus to Javi Guerra

In the midst of uncertainty surrounding Barcelona’s pursuit of Guido Rodriguez, a recent report from MARCA suggests that the club have shifted their focus to other alternatives.

Barcelona are particularly seeking a move for Javi Guerra. The Valencia youngster has emerged as a top target for the Catalans lately, as the club look to reinforce the ranks in the midfield department.

It appears Barça are ideally looking for a player who has a similar profile to Gavi. That is where Javi Guerra comes into the fray.

The Spaniard is a much more nimble footballer and will be able to offer more technicality in the middle of the park. Guido Rodriguez, in contrast, is more similar to Andreas Christensen – a sturdy and abrasive defensive midfielder.

Can Barça seal the deal?

Securing a deal for Javi Guerra, however, will be quite the challenge for Barcelona, who are once again stuck in an economic downturn.

The Catalans are awaiting a final call from La Liga to figure out their potential spending limit and FFP margins.

The report adds that Guerra is expected to cost somewhere around €20-25 million. Interestingly, Valencia are interested in a move for Barcelona’s attacking outcast Vitor Roque, though the two operations are not linked to each other.

If Barcelona can return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule for this summer’s transfer window, they would be able to make signings without financial restrictions. With that in mind, they appear to have made an preliminary move for Bruno Fernandes, compatriot of sporting director Deco.

According to A Bola, Barcelona have spoken to Fernandes representatives to find out whether a deal is possible this summer. Bayern Munich have also done likewise, with both clubs seemingly plotting a move for the Manchester United playmaker.

Fernandes is one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League, and although 2023-24 was a lull season for him, he’s expected to play a huge role for Portugal at this upcoming European Championship. This would give Barcelona the opportunity to scout him further, if they do decide that he is someone that they want.

There’s no doubting that Fernandes is a top player, but he’s not what Barcelona need this summer. Furthermore, he is 29, so the money that would be invested on him would be better served on a younger alternative.

The Internet has made access to football players easier than it’s ever been, for good and bad. The invention of social media now means anyone can pose a question to a player on their account — though they may or may not answer.

This is what happened recently with Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde. He has been linked with a move to Liverpool recently, and this speculation has resulted in fans asking him about a move to Merseyside this summer.

Interacting on social media (via The Kop Times), a Liverpool fan asked the 20-year-old to ‘come to Liverpool in summer’. And perhaps surprisingly, Balde responded.

He was left unimpressed by the idea of walking away from the Nou Camp. “And leaving Barcelona in summer? No man,” followed by a laughing emoji. Balde is a product of Barcelona’s youth academy, and broke into the first team in 2021/22 under then-coach Xavi.

It was in 2022/23 that Balde had his real breakthrough season, making 33 appearances in La Liga, and 44 in all competitions. He was then linked with a move to Man City last summer, but ultimately nothing came of it as he remained in Spain.

The 2023/24 season, however, saw Balde fight injury, and this limited his chances. He played just 18 times in La Liga, yet his impressive form means he’s still being linked with a host of teams around Europe. The player was linked with a move to Liverpool as far back as 2019 (via Sport Witness), but it never materialized.

An insight into the plans of incoming Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick to make use of the talents of youngster Gavi has this weekend been forthcoming online.

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.

Barcelona congratulated Real Madrid for clinching the 2023/24 Champions League trophy after Borussia Dortmund were beaten on Saturday evening thanks to goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior.

Edin Terzic’s men rattled the post and created several clear chances in the first half as they sniffed the possibility of an upset at Wembley Stadium. However, Los Blancos emerged as the superior outfit in the second half to lift the trophy for the 15th time.

Their victory prompted a message of congratulations from Clasico rivals Barca, who exited the competition at the quarter-final stage to Paris Saint-Germain.

After the final whistle, Barca posted on X: “Congratulations to Real Madrid for winning the Champions League title.”

In early May, La Blaugrana congratulated Ancelotti’s side for winning the 2023/24 La Liga title after a 4-2 defeat at Girona ended their hopes of defending the championship.

Toni Kroos orchestrated the opener on his final appearance for Los Blancos with a sublime cross in the 74th minute, setting up Carvajal to nod the ball into the back of the net. Shortly after, Jude Bellingham assisted Vinicius to extend Madrid’s lead to 2-0 with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

Niclas Fullkrug hit the woodwork earlier in the game when Dortmund held sway and momentarily sparked hope for a tense finale by bulging the net with a powerful header. However, to the dismay of both him and abundance of supporters watching, the goal was flagged offside and Madrid held firm until full-time.

Former Madrid midfielder and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham lauded Bellingham after Madrid’s victory over Dortmund. On Instagram, accompanied with a picture of him performing the 20-year-old’s iconic goal celebration, Beckham posted the words: “Hey Jude! What a first season. Champions.”

Six weeks ago, Frenkie de Jong suffered his third ankle injury of the season during Barcelona’s defeat to Real Madrid. The 27-year-old was ruled out for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign, although he was expected to be back in time to play for the Netherlands in this summer’s European Championship.

Speaking to NOS, de Jong has provided an update on his injury situation. With two weeks to go until his first match in Euro 2024, he admitted that he does not know when he will be able to make his return.

“I’m not fit yet, so I can’t say I’m doing well. I’m not doing anything with the group yet. I don’t know precisely when I will be back.”

Despite this, de Jong admitted that he would be willing to risk further injury in order to take his place in Ronald Koeman’s side in Germany.

“I am willing to take risks to play in the Euros for my country, but the most important thing is that it won’t become a chronic ankle injury. Right now it doesn’t look like this is the case, which is why I didn’t have surgery.

“I have taken risks (with the ankle), and I have done this in the past too. But this is the 3rd time I have this ankle injury now. I can’t allow it to become something chronic so I need to recover well.”

De Jong’s remarks are unlikely to go down well with Barcelona officials, given that another injury during the summer would almost certainly see him miss a large portion of pre-season, and possibly the start of the 2024-25 campaign itself. Given that his future at the club is also uncertain, it’s probably not the best time to say something like this.