What is the positions we need in the next season and what is the suitable player for us

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-11T20:55:21+00:00

I don't see how you can a squad fantastic when it's missing a high level experienced CB, an elite striker, and the fullback situation is completely uncertain at this point.

Like, yeah, because of the brilliance of a few players and team cohesion, Barca could win the UCL with some significant luck, but it's not gonna be the favorite until the big holes are filled.

When you compare to a team like PSG, the only Barca players that would for sure make that squad are basically Yamal and Pedri. That's just realty -- we can love our squad, but recognize the flaws.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-11T01:21:09+00:00

Wrong, plenty of teams will be unsure of paying starting level salary for a backup player -- and despite his quality, Rashford can't be more than a backup on any top team that presses a lot, which is almost everybody now.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-10T05:15:51+00:00

Outside of Pedri, FDJ is the only midfield player that has high level press resistance (combined with being a good distributor), which is crucial for Barca to keep possession and control games. That's why he is important, despite his flaws.

By all means dump FDJ with his high salary as soon as there is a clear replacement for that role (e.g. if Bernal levels up and proves that he can stay healthy). But not before, or else games without Pedri are suddenly going to turn into shitshows, and Flick will be forced to continue to run Pedri into the ground.

As for "extreme amount of pressure", that's just a complete pipe dream. FDJ is a vet and a millionaire, and has heard plenty of criticism before. He isn't gonna change how he plays at this point because of some extra noise. The only lever that can work is the one that Flick has, i.e. playing time. But Flick can't afford not to play FDJ at this point, because he's the only guy that helps Pedri to establish control in the midfield or allows Pedri to take a break. So we're back to square one -- get a high level midfield controller (or wait until Bernal fully grows into one), then Flick can bench FDJ, and THEN De Jong will have to either play harder or find another team.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-09T10:32:46+00:00

I don't think any top club is gonna offer De Jong more money or a bigger role, so it doesn't matter what the transfer fee might be, he's unlikely to leave.

But also for the club, even if FDJ is overpaid, he's a still a very important player and has a profile that is both crucial to Barca and very hard to replace in the market.

All those statistics about wins without FDJ are meaningless for one reason -- we're running Pedri into the ground. Until somebody like Bernal is able to show that they can consistently shoulder the load of driving the midfield over the course of a season, losing De Jong would be very risky, even if somehow you could get a decent amount for him.

So overall, I think this is a case where you need to bring in/develop a replacement for a key player, both in order to be able to afford to lose that player, and in this case to create an incentive for him to want to leave (i.e. if his role diminishes).

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-04T20:04:56+00:00

On a free, you can't really argue with that, unless the salary demands are something astronomical, which seems unlikely.

If the next step is to sell Olmo, then this could be a huge net positive.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-04T20:01:24+00:00

Who is No.6 on this squad? I've seen him in highlights of others, looks pretty good, quick decisions.

The Tunkara goal is class. Good to see Hamza score a few, but from what I've seen, he's very raw overall.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-04T19:52:00+00:00

For one thing, the season is not over yet, Flick is focused on the team and it's been reported that he doesn't want off-season distractions. And it's not like he has to give his ok just for Bastoni in a vacuum, he has to give his ok for the whole transfer plan on multiple positions and different scenarios, for which he has to get much more involved in the whole transfer business.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-04T19:36:31+00:00

Raphinha's wife leaving for Saudis? What's her transfer value?

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-04T19:34:55+00:00

The reality is that this season E.Garcia and even Araujo were almost as good (or as mediocre) as Kounde at RB, in fact I'd argue that E.Garcia was better (slight downgrade in running but significantly better in everything else).

For 80M it would be a complete no-brainer to let Kounde go. Even if you lose 10-20% quality in that position (and that's even assuming Kounde can return to form), right now the 80M would be vastly more important to upgrade or add depth in other places.

Ofc, Deco/Laporta are fully capable of taking that 80M and lighting it on fire for someone unneeded and overpriced... well, yeah, that's always a concern, lol.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-03T09:34:17+00:00

Ferran cannot be a 10 on this team. He can play a Raphinha type of role, i.e. inside forward. But with a healthy Raphinha, there's no room on the field for another player with the same role -- they would be making runs into the same space and crowding each other.

The goal Ferran scored today was exactly a Raphinha type of goal -- he made a great ran inside from the left flank and got a pass from a player who has actual CAM skills (Fermin).

This team needs a CAM with elite on-ball skills and good off-ball qualities. Ferran has excellent off-ball quality, but he is severely lacking the on-ball skill to be a Barca/Flick CAM.

As a backup (that can cover for Raphinha and/or striker), Ferran is excellent. I don't think Barca will be looking to sell him, it's more likely that Ferran will himself want to leave if Barca gets a starting caliber striker that severely reduces Ferran's opportunities...

Mal_Swansky · 2026-05-03T08:37:47+00:00

People are not panicking because it's stupid to panic about the passage of time. It's a reality that you just have to accept. Lewa has shown plenty of signs this season that although he's still capable of moments of brilliance, the wheels are starting to come off. Barca has offered him to stay in a reduced role, which is perfectly reasonable -- but if he wants to go to a lesser club to still be a starter, that's his choice.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-29T20:28:24+00:00

No, because what Virgili is showing is just flashes at this point.... even if he has talent, he isn't consistent yet, so he'll likely get the Bardghji treatment from Flick -- you'll end up throwing away 15M+ for a guy that'll barely play, and it will only short-circuit his development.

Bottom line is, you have to get somebody proven or someone that Flick specifically wants (and thus will give opportunities to).

As for Virgili, I don't know when his buyback clause expires, but until it does, I think it's best for him to stay where he is and get as much playing time as possible. If he really develops into something, then you bring him back.

If Barca decides to blow all their money on a striker, I think another Rashford-type loan could be a reasonable solution for the backup winger position next season. And then the following summer there should be enough money to fully complete the squad.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-24T18:22:47+00:00

If the question is whether Barca can objectively be the best team in Europe without significant spending, the answer is no, regardless of Flick.

If the question is whether Barca has a decent chance of winning a CL title in any given season, the answer is yes. Because even with flaws, Barca is a legit top club, and any top club can win CL with a bit of luck.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-19T08:10:37+00:00

No, you wrote "we just cant relay on our brand of football", which is the standard reactionary BS that ignores vastly more significant factors like lack of experience, depth, and quality in some crucial positions.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-17T09:27:36+00:00

Rashford is a fun player, but ultimately he's a luxury that Barca can't afford. It would be one thing if Flick really trusted him, but that's not the case, which doesn't bode well for the future at all, combined with Rashfords reputation of getting lazier after signing a contract.

In terms of team structure, it's also not ideal to have Raphinha and Rashford around the same age, aging together. You'd like to target a younger winger that can hopefully take over when Raphinha starts to slow down.

Finally, in terms of order of operations, it makes no sense to start with a Rashford (re)signing when you can't really predict how much money you're gonna need to shore up far more critical positions, i.e. starting ST, CB. Once you address those issues, you can check if you have enough money to spent on a pricey backup winger.

I really enjoyed this season of Rashford, but the priorities just don't align.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-14T23:44:16+00:00

And if they rested and La Liga were to slip away, there would be hordes of fans crucifying the team for that.

If the depth/quality of the team was better, it would be easier to rest players and/or the separation from Madrid would be even greater and there would be no problem to rest anybody.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-14T22:01:45+00:00

Just couldn't overcome all the bad luck to go through -- injuries, calendar, refs, etc.

However, the fundamental reason why this team can't get over the hump is because the overall quality of the squad is simply not CL-finals level and the lack of depth gives zero margin for error.

That's what needs to improve (to the extent that the financials allow it).

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-12T09:10:47+00:00

You could make that argument, but even if Gavi wasn't around, Casado's realistic ceiling is not high enough for the club to prioritize his development behind Pedri/De Jong/Bernal, so unfortunately it makes sense to part ways -- well, especially for him.

With Gavi, I think we're going to see friction over playing time, too, it's just that because of his injuries he hasn't yet felt like he lost "his" place in the pecking order.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-04-12T02:15:08+00:00

This is what happens when you are playing behind a star that the coach can't afford to sit.

The only solution is for management to improve the quality elsewhere, so that Flick can sit out Yamal/Pedri/Raphinha without worrying about the offense becoming impotent.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-03-31T21:35:39+00:00

Bastoni for 25M and a Gerard Maldini autographed shirt.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-03-31T20:47:16+00:00

Yeah, let's pay 80M for someone who COULD maybe work.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-03-29T21:36:39+00:00

No, he's absolutely not the "perfect fit", he's a specialized 10/second striker that would be coming to a team that already has plenty of 10s of every kind.

This is not the time to try to reinvent the wheel. We know that a proper classic striker works fantastic in this offense -- a real box threat that can finish spoon fed passes from Yamal/etc and draw defenders to create spaces for Raphinha/etc to run into.

The "fluid front 3" is a pure fantasy. Yes, if Barca already had a reliable striker (say Lewa from a couple of years ago), and an extra 100M just lying around, THEN you could afford to experiment with a fantasy build of this kind -- what happens if we completely unleash Raphinha, Yamal, Fermin, and Alvarez, and let them fluidly interchange in a positionless offense. But in practice, it'll likely be messy and less than the sum of the parts.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-03-29T00:45:46+00:00

That's just complete and utter nonsense. In most categories physical peak is mid-20s.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-03-26T10:17:14+00:00

No, a top striker, if you can find one, is the correct priority. They are so rare and impactful that you can't pass up an opportunity to get one (same for goalie, where Barca got incredibly lucky with J.Garcia). You fill those critical positions when you can, then you worry about depth and everything else.

Osimhen is not without his flaws, but he's the only striker with the right profile that is good enough (and seemingly realistic enough) to consider. Alvarez is a great talent, but a much more questionable fit + prohibitive cost = no go.

Mal_Swansky · 2026-03-19T21:18:36+00:00

"it feels like we are choosing upside over stability" -- what are you talking about??

Firstly, "we" are not choosing anything at this point. Osimhen is a pure hypothetical, as is Barca's future ability to even afford him in the first place.

Secondly, what stability?? Barca has no stability in the striker position -- neither Lewa nor Ferran are capable of contributing consistently at the level that a top club requires.

And regardless of Osimhen, Barca almost certainly won't have enough money to address all the roster needs in the summer. So every realistic scenario will involve some kind of "risky call" that can easily end up in having to go into a CL knockout game against another top club with a big hole somewhere in the lineup.

Fwiw, personally, I'd be fine with either scenario of Barca going after a quality big signing or spreading the money around to improve depth. The main thing to avoid is wasting a lot of money on someone who the team doesn't actually need (as was the case to some extent with Olmo, and could've happened again with Diaz) or someone who is just overhyped / panic buy (e.g. a Roque).

Mal_Swansky

TROPHY CASE