Kante and Jorginho would be a step backwards for Barcelona
Robin Bairner
- 13 Oct 2022 11:26 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona could raid Chelsea in the summer to sign BOTH N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, according to a report in The Standard.
Barca have been seeking to upgrade their current midfield options for months, with the summer arrival of Franck Kessie on a free transfer from Milan having failed to pay dividends. With Sergio Busquets coming to the end of his practical life at the top level, it is essential that they find solutions.
But the Camp Nou side’s financial situation is well known to be poor, particularly with a Champions League exit in the group stages now looking a likely scenario. It means they will have to operate on the cheap, and that is likely to necessitate going back into the free agent market.
Barcelona, though, more than ever, need a forward-thinking approach to their transfer strategy. Last summer, their plan was to throw money at the problem and hope it worked out. So far, it hasn’t.
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Barca need to look to the future
Although there is a need for experience in this squad, the addition of both Kante and Jorginho would appear to be another misjudgement.
Chelsea are unwilling to give Kante the type of extended contract that he wants because of his injury issues in recent months. Barcelona, almost literally, cannot afford to have an asset sitting out regularly because of physical problems. The World Cup winner, who will be 32 by next summer, will not come with a cheap wage either.
Jorginho is another player on the decline. The Italy international will be 31 by the time he is a free agent but is at least looking more physically robust than the Frenchman, who relies so much on his fitness. There is more logic behind a deal here, but there is surely a sense that Barcelona need to be looking to the future.
The club should have been warned by the case of Robert Lewandowski, who arrived in a big-money deal from Bayern Munich in the summer, despite being 34. Worse, Barcelona have him tied to a four-year contract. While the short-term gain of this was obvious as he started explosively, it represents a massive long-term gamble with club finances that the Camp Nou side cannot afford.
Instead of signing Jorginho or Kante, they should be searching to find the next Jorginho or Kante. Anything else is just a sticking plaster when a long-term remedy is required.
