Forget Haaland and Pogba – here’s what Xavi’s Barca wishlist should be
Robin Bairner
- 3 Nov 2021 13:33 GMT
- 3 min read
Xavi is not even installed as Barcelona head coach yet there are already wild rumours of the players he wishes to sign for the club.
It was reported in El Nacional on Wednesday that the Al Sadd coach wants to entice Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland to the club – as well as RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo and Jules Kounde.
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Even the most optimistic Barcelona fan must appreciate that the club is no longer in a position to make such star-studded signings – and the likelihood is that it will be years before such players will be able to move to Camp Nou.
Pogba may be heading for free agency in the summer of 2022, but his eye-watering salary is simply unaffordable by Barca. Similarly, Haaland is destined elsewhere.
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Even more modest targets like Olmo and Kounde are out of their reach. Sevilla, for instance, are holding out for €80m for the centre-back. For Barca, that is unattainable.
So what should Xavi hope for when he arrives at Barca?
Ansu and Dembele to stay fit
Xavi is unlikely to get much support from the January window, so his biggest immediate wish is for his star players to remain fit.
Ansu Fati has made a difference since returning to the side, notably scoring an absolutely critical goal against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League on Tuesday as Barca kept their qualification hopes burning with a 1-0 win.
Dembele, meanwhile, is an undoubtedly world-class player who has a miserable injury record.
Get those two players truly firing, and Barcelona will be an entirely different prospect to the one seen so often this season.
Loan reinforcement
Although board member Ferran Reverter has claimed that Barcelona have €20 million to spend in January, they are unlikely to be able to conduct any worthwhile long-term personal business on such money.
With that in mind, Barcelona must look to the loan market. There are holes that need plugged in their side both in attack and defence, and even one or two smart additions would make a tremendous difference.
Offload the deadwood
Before Barcelona can realistically do anything in January, there are players who need to be jettisoned.
Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic and Philippe Coutinho are among those eating up huge wages but providing nothing in return. Even if Barcelona cannot sell these players, simply getting their salaries off the budget would make a difference and may open up avenues to improving the squad.
The issue, though, is that rival teams are not willing to match Barca’s wages for players who have failed or who are failing.
