Five key responsibilities for Barcelona and Hansi Flick for the next season

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 congratulate Real Madrid for winning Champions League

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.

Borussia Dortmund

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.”

Barcelona star willing to risk further injury in order to play at Euro 2024

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.

Fulham make Emile Smith Rowe their number one target this summer

Fulham have identified Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe as a primary target for their summer transfer campaign, preparing to make an early bid for the 23-year-old.

Manager Marco Silva is keen to strengthen his attacking options, especially with Willian considering Bosman offers from Saudi Arabia and Bobby De Cordova-Reid out of contract, though he has been offered a new deal to stay.

Smith Rowe has emerged as a top priority for Fulham as they aim to build on their mid-table finishes since returning to the Premier League.

The England international had a limited role at Arsenal last season, featuring mostly as a substitute with 10 appearances off the bench during the Gunners’ title challenge.

His campaign was also marred by knee and ankle injuries, and by the time he returned, Mikel Arteta’s squad was already well-settled.

Arsenal are open to offers for several fringe players this summer, which will impact their own spending capabilities in the transfer market. Smith Rowe, along with Aaron Ramsdale and Eddie Nketiah, is among those seeking more regular playing time.

Selling Smith Rowe would be financially advantageous for Arsenal, as he is a product of their academy and thus represents pure profit from a profit-and-sustainability perspective. He has two seasons remaining on his contract, having last renewed it in 2021.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been tipped to push for a surprise move to Liverpool if the Reds lose Caoimhin Kelleher in the summer transfer window.

Kelleher has made no secret of his desire to play regularly after spending much of his career as Alisson Becker’s understudy.

The Irishman got a taste of regular football when Alisson was injured last season and was lauded for his impressive displays between the sticks. It has been speculated that Kelleher could leave to play as a first-choice goalkeeper elsewhere, with Celtic among the clubs to have been credited with an interest in his services.

He recently played down his hopes of displacing Alisson next season despite the opportunity for a fresh start under Arne Slot, telling The Athletic: “It would be great if that happened at Liverpool, but I’m not silly. I know that Ali has been the best goalkeeper in the world for years.”

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that if Kelleher does leave Liverpool, it would give Ramsdale a chance to battle Alisson for a starting spot by moving to Anfield.

“If Kelleher leaves Liverpool, there’s an opportunity for him to go and be a No 1 with Alisson,” said Robinson. “Look at the amount of games Kelleher has played this year compared to Ramsdale.

“There’s an opportunity there to have more game time and prove himself. Aaron Ramsdale has got to go somewhere and he’s got to play. He’s been harshly treated at Arsenal. I think the way [Mikel] Arteta handled the situation was wrong.”

Ramsdale was Arsenal’s first-choice stopper for two seasons but was reduced to a bench role last time out, with David Raya earning Arteta’s trust after joining on loan from Brentford. The Spaniard is widely expected to make a permanent move to the Emirates Stadium this summer, potentially leaving Ramsdale out in the cold.

It remains to be seen if Ramsdale would be able to challenge for a starting spot at Liverpool, with Alisson likely to keep his place in the side next season. He has been one of the world’s best goalkeepers for several years and it would certainly be a tough task for Ramsdale to leapfrog the Brazilian in the pecking order.

Ramsdale leaving Arsenal this summer would not come as a huge surprise, given that he will need to play regularly to stand any chance of battling Jordan Pickford to become England’s first-choice goalkeeper. However, there are surely better options for him than Liverpool, who will almost certainly keep Alisson between the sticks next season.

Lukas Podolski believes Arsenal need to sign a target man in order to compete on all fronts.

The Gunners were not only beaten to the Premier League title by Manchester City, but they were also prematurely knocked out of numerous cup competitions throughout the season.

Mikel Arteta’s side dived out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich, they lost to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup third round and West Ham swept them aside in the Carabao Cup round of 16. While Arsenal may have taken a step in the right direction, they ultimately ended the campaign empty-handed.

Gabriel Jesus led the Arsenal frontline at the start of the season before Kai Havertz took the reins following some unimpressive performances in midfield. Speaking to the Mail Online, Podolski said: “I watch Arsenal and Koln games.

“I like the mentality of Mikel Arteta. They’ve made a huge step forward, but at the moment they are playing with Kai Havertz up front. They brought in Declan Rice but if they really want to compete next year they need a number nine, a target striker who scores goals.”

Then, when asked who he’d like to see wearing his old number nine shirt, Podolski said: “Harry Kane was the one who wanted to change, but with his history of Tottenham, of course it is not possible to move to Ars

“That is why he moved to Bayern Munich. It was a good move for Bayern Munich and him. He was the only option on the market. Bayern paid a lot for him, but he’s scoring goals like he did before. It’s nice to see a player from the Premier League coming to the Bundesliga.

“You move to the Premier league these days because money is involved. The only club in Germany that can pay a good salary and a transfer fee is Bayern. For the rest, it’s not possible. Only Bayern can do something like that with Kane. There’s no chance for the rest.

“Kane is scoring goals but I see the story already when Bayern Munich are third in the Bundesliga and out of the Champions League. Maybe we have another good story like Tottenham – move to Bayern and don’t win anything!”

Emile Smith Rowe made ‘priority’ as Arsenal star closes in on transfer exit

Fulham have made landing Emile Smith Rowe a summer priority and are ready to lodge an early bid for the Arsenal star.

Smith Rowe has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates and Cottagers boss Marco Silva has spots in his squad that need filling. Arsenal are open to listening to offers for several players as they look to invest in their own playing group.

Smith Rowe, as well as the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Eddie Nketiah, are likely to court interest as they seek extra minutes. Fulham believe the playmaker can help aid their ambitions after securing successive mid-table finishes since promotion back to the top-flight, reports the Telegraph.

The 23-year-old Arsenal academy graduate only had three Premier League starts last term, making 10 more appearances from the bench. He also suffered knee and ankle injuries during the campaign, which hampered his progress.

Any possible sale would represent pure profit for Arsenal from a profit-and-sustainability point of view. Smith Rowe has two seasons left on his contract, which was signed in 2021, with Aston Villa among those previously keen on the former England international.

Mikel Arteta, who has been unable to find a regular place for the versatile midfielder, said at one point last season: “I love him as a player, he is a joy to watch.

How he moves, changes direction and how physical he was without the ball. He went into duels and won a lot of them and was thinking with that killer instinct to play forward and make things happen. When Emile is in that moment, it’s very difficult to stop him.”

The midfielder's minutes have been at a premium under Mikel Arteta

Fulham’s desire to land Smith Rowe comes with Willian weighing up Bosman offers from Saudi Arabia, while Bobby De Cordova-Reid is also out of contract but has been given an offer to stay at Craven Cottage.

The west London outfit have continued to invest since their promotion. 12 months ago Fulham landed the likes of Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Timothy Castagne. Joao Palhinha was signed two years ago but was on Bayern Munich’s radar last summer and the Portuguese star is set to be the subject of interest once again.

Arsenal target confirms ‘agreement’ with club amid summer transfer links

Monaco star Youssouf Fofana has revealed he has held talks with the club’s hierarchy amid transfer links with Arsenal.

The Gunners have been linked with a move to sign Fofana in recent weeks, with the midfielder about to enter the final 12 months of his contract.

As well as Arsenal, reports have speculated that Fofana is also a target for Manchester United as well as clubs across Europe including Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and AC Milan.

It was reported by French news outlet L’Equipe that Arsenal have already held initial talks over the possibility of signing Fofana this summer.

The midfielder is reportedly valued at £20 million this summer, and now Fofana has spoken about the rumours about his future.

Fofana has revealed that he has already held discussions with Monaco about his future as he enters the final year of his contract. The France international went on to hint that a transfer could happen after an “agreement” was reached.

“I have spoken about it with the hierarchy, it isn’t a secret,” Fofana told reporters in a press conference this week.

“We had exchanges and they agreed to accompany me in this new stage.

“If [a move] doesn’t happen, I still have a year left and I will be happy to stay.

“We were in agreement that we would accompany each other in this process in which everyone should be a winner, be it me or the club.”

Fofana is not the only midfielder to be linked with Arsenal this summer. Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi has also been credited as a potential target for the Gunners, while reports continue to swirl claiming that a new striker could be on the transfer agenda before the window closes.

Mikel Arteta currently has Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira, Mohamed Elneny and Emile Smith Rowe as his midfield options, while Kai Havertz was also used in the middle of the park in his debut season at the Emirates Stadium.

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano clarifies Arsenal transfer links with various top strikers

Fabrizio Romano has spoken exclusively to CaughtOffside to address the recent transfer rumours about Arsenal’s interest in Victor Osimhen and other top strikers this summer.

Osimhen has been a world class performer for Napoli in recent years and it makes sense that there would inevitably be plenty of speculation about his future this summer, but it still seems a bit early to know for sure what’s going to happen with the Nigeria international.

Arsenal could do with a big signing up front this summer, so one imagines many fans would relish a big name like Osimhen coming in, but Romano has moved to ease the speculation for the time being.

The Italian journalist notes that there have been a lot of back and forth stories about Arsenal’s striker plans, with the name changing almost every day from Osimhen to Benjamin Sesko and others.

Victor

Osimhen transfer: Romano clarifies Arsenal and Chelsea links

Osimhen has also previously been linked with Chelsea, but Romano has also ruled out a swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku, suggesting the former Lille man is not on the Blues’ radar.

“As I’ve previously reported, Chelsea are not working on a deal for Victor Osimhen this summer, and there will be no swap deal with Napoli involving Romelu Lukaku. We’re now seeing Arsenal linked with Osimhen again and this has understandably got a lot of fans talking,” Romano said.

“However, on Arsenal, every day we have a new striker close in the media – one day it’s Brian Brobbey, one day Benjamin Sesko, one day Alexander Isak, one day Osimhen, The truth is that they are still assessing options internally, so we have to let them work and then we’ll see. I’ll keep you posted as soon as something concrete happens.”

There are a lot of good attacking players out there at the moment, and in truth, it probably makes sense for Arsenal to prioritise cheaper alternatives to Osimhen, who seems likely to cost huge money as Napoli are never easy to negotiate with.

Jude Bellingham gives Kylian Mbappe transfer verdict after Arsenal ‘meeting’

Jude Bellingham has admitted Kylian Mbappe would take Real Madrid “to another level” if he is to join the club this summer.

Mbappe’s move to Los Blancos is soon expected to be made official after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent, leaving Arsenal and many other clubs disappointed.

The French forward has taken his time to weigh up his next move, though it appears it will be Real Madrid who he will be lining up for next campaign as Florentino Perez finally gets his man.

The Spanish giants were able to win their sixth Champions League in the last ten years on Saturday evening after beating Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, leading to conversations over how frightening their squad will be next year with Mbappe added to the equation.

Discussing the prospect of Mbappe being brought to Madrid, Bellingham told TNT Sports: “If that was to happen, it would be amazing. A player like him, it’s the only little thing that maybe we’re missing in terms of that clinical nine. If he was to come and give us that, we’d be in a really great place and he would take us to another level. He’s one of the best players in the world, clearly.”

Mikel Arteta was able to exchange a few words with Mbappe this week upon accepting his ‘Best Coach – Premier League award at the KAFD Globe Soccer Awards Europe’, shaking hands with the 25-year-old who was also in attendance on stage. The duo also exchanged a brief few words with the 2018 World Cup winner patting the Spaniard on the back as he walked away.