Barca Transfers and Rumors

Riordon said:

What will you do for the defense? In an ideal world I would bring two new CB’ s and RB but realistically at most one CB for defense. I like Konate and Pau Torres there.

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I don't follow the market as I used to be (in terms of watching players) so I don't have names in mind.
Ideally a CB that is 25 or younger, athletic and ready to start from day 1 should be the priority. If Konate fits the bill then go for him.
Then sort the other CBs we have now. Araujo,Chumi,Todibo & Cuenca are 4 young promising CBs that were born in same year. We aren't gonna develop all of them. And if we stayed in 3rd division (hopefully) they will be at stage of out growing Barca B. so move them on loans (Germany/France/Holland are great places to loan CB) unless there is 1 of them we see being good enough as 4th CB or future Barca starting material. If one fit the bill ok, if not bring a veteran stop gap.

RB is weird one, again we need an upgrade, and we have 2 young RBs in Wague and Emerson, Roberto and Semedo are decent and not old. But I have a feeling that non of them will deserve a starting spot in couple of years. Basically it isn't a need but there is a big room for upgrade, the market isn't helping us though.
LB I would hope Firpo do well, but I will be aware of Alba's age. I suspect that next season will be his last on elite level. So we will need to be scouting LBs heavily soon.
It will need to be done step by step. Just like we are doing with midfield. But it needs to start next summer by getting a CB who will ease the transition from Pique with Lenglet acting as stop gap in starting line up if needed.

No RB will fill the Alves shoes until Messi is here. Shades of that partnership permeate through that side. Once he is gone, Semedo will be more than enough.

It’s amazing DM is still not popping up in the conversation. After YEARS of Busquets.

Wolfe said:

No RB will fill the Alves shoes until Messi is here. Shades of that partnership permeate through that side. Once he is gone, Semedo will be more than enough.

It’s amazing DM is still not popping up in the conversation. After YEARS of Busquets.

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We have De Jong, whose best position is DM for me, so I think that's why there's not much talk about it.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pl" dir="ltr">Barça skorzystała z przerwy reprezentacyjnej i ich skauci obejrzeli 12 meczów, głównie U21. Przyglądali się też między innymi takim piłkarzom jak: Camavinga, Havertz, Fabian Ruiz, Naci Ünüvar, Gravenberch, Malen, czy Myron Boadu. MD</p>— ■neurophate (@neurophate_) <a href="https://twitter.com/neurophate_/status/1184016559586627584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pl" dir="ltr">Edouard Michut jest śledzony przez FC Barcelonę. Manchester City chce 16-letniego pomocnika z PSG sprowadzić do siebie. Profilem ma przypominać Verattiego. Sky Sports <a href="https://t.co/lhyF5QT2WK">pic.twitter.com/lhyF5QT2WK</a></p>— ■neurophate (@neurophate_) <a href="https://twitter.com/neurophate_/status/1184020208396230656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

We are following these players: Camavinga CDM, Havertz CAM/ RW, Ruiz CM, Naci Ünüvar, Gravenberch, Malen CF, Myron Boadu CF, and we are also eying PSG's golden boy Edouard Michut who is only 16.

soul24rage said:

We have De Jong, whose best position is DM for me, so I think that's why there's not much talk about it.

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As far as I watched him, he was always a CM. Not doing him any favours if you play him as a sitting mid if he’s not comfortable doing 2-3 things at once.

I can understand not wanting to buy right now, but it’s as if nobody is even talking about Busi being finished. And he’s finished for nearly 2 years now.

Wolfe said:

As far as I watched him, he was always a CM. Not doing him any favours if you play him as a sitting mid if he’s not comfortable doing 2-3 things at once.

I can understand not wanting to buy right now, but it’s as if nobody is even talking about Busi being finished. And he’s finished for nearly 2 years now.

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DM is FDJ natural position actually, he is more comfortable playing from the back moving forward.
Not the most typical DM though. And as season goes we will see if he is more comfortable in advanced role or stay as DM.

khaled_a_d said:

DM is FDJ natural position actually, he is more comfortable playing from the back moving forward.
Not the most typical DM though. And as season goes we will see if he is more comfortable in advanced role or stay as DM.

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Playing from the back doesn't imply he's a DM, don't know if he should be utilised as such in a team where the sitting mid almost always has to sit. Kante is also not a DM anymore, because he plays from the back and is often relied upon to help the RW. Similar to Partey and occasionally Casemiro when he is part of 4-4-2. More often than not, he goes forward and it's where his strengths lie. Hardly a DM trait if you ask me, even if it just implies he's more vertical than most players.

Given the fact we are linked to Fabian, Havertz, VDB,... I think it's clear the club sees FDJ as a future DM. Still, his versatility allows us more possibilities on the market.

We'll see how this season will progress and while I like FDJ-Arthur combo for now I don't think they can provide enough goals (I know Arthur has already scored twice this season and hopefully he'll improve in this aspect but I still don't see him as someone who will score around 10 goals/season regularly). They are great at keeping possession and can assist but they are both pass first, shoot second type of midfielders. I believe we need more goals from our midfielders and defenders to not be so dependant on Messi, declining Suarez and Griezmann who is still searching his role in the team.

Alba and Roberto (when he has played as a RB) can provide assists, hopefully Semedo will improve here as well but none of them will score a lot of goals, Pique will get his 4-5 goals every season (but he usually scores when we are already up by 2 or 3 goals so his goals are rarely important), Umtiti and Lenglet are also rarely scoring so getting a CB who would be dangerous from set pieces would be great (but obviously we should look for someone who can do his job in defense first and foremost) but at the same time we also need a goalscoring midfielder imo.

I also see Frenkie more as a DM. He for now looks a lot more comfortable as a DM than CM in our 4-3-3.

Pairing him with a couple of smart CM's will allow him to venture forward with the ball with someone to cover in case we get countered on.
His dribbling is really good but it's not the same type of dribbling as say Iniesta or Silva when they're outside the box in small spaces.
Our game has been much more fluid with Frenkie as DM, maybe it's because of lack of competition or maybe it's because Frenkie's so damn good.

I don't think he'd be of much use as an offensive CM, at least not at this point in his career.

Sell all forwards but Messi (Coutinho, Griezmann, Suarez, Dembele) and play Fati-Messi-Pedri next season. Not even joking.

Quite weird why the debate regarding De Jong best position in our 433 always is advanced midfielder/AM vs DM. He is either of those. He is a CM. In our 433 his best position is the Xavi position. That why he has defensive projection and since his stamina is so great he can be all over the pitch. The problem is that this is Arthurs role too.

Thats why I want us to play 4231, fits us much better.

Is it? I thought the debate regarding de Jong was DM vs CM, not attacking midfielder. His height is a disadvantage for a more advanced role (I suppose) - thats why I really dont want Ruiz, who looks kind of clumsy anyway. Arthur, if he can keep his performances up, has the more advanced role locked down anyway. I always thought he would transition well into a more attackign midfielder. Hes mobile and technically good enough for that.

On paper you can combine any kind of midfielder with Frenkie and Arthur, so just find the best option. Heard Eriksen a lot recently (for price alone), but he was kind of shit lately. Would rather give Puig a chance (dont trust Alena at all) and get a good box to box or defensive midfielder (aka someone physical).

How would you setup 4231?

Arthur-FDJ
Griezmann-Messi-Dembele
Suarez

???

And then next season if we get an AMC play Messi as a RW (where he doesn't want to play), Dembele/Fati on the left and Griezmann upfront?

Thats in reality a 442 with a very weak midfield (cause of numbers).

Messi983 said:

How would you setup 4231?

Arthur-FDJ
Griezmann-Messi-Dembele
Suarez

???

And then next season if we get an AMC play Messi as a RW (where he doesn't want to play), Dembele/Fati on the left and Griezmann upfront?

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Like how we played against Inter and Sevilla when Arturo came on.

FDj-Arthur
Messi-Fabian Ruiz/VdB/Eriksen/Havertz-goalscoring LW
Griezmann

Messi in a kind of free role but as a start must be to the right. Its very important that the AM has huge stamina and intensity.

This is the lineup that suits Arthur and Frenkie the most, both play that role at the national team and has been playing that role for their former clubs, both quite unknown to the 433. Its the only way I can see how we will solve the problem with Arthur/Frenkie both play the Xavi role.

So my summer is a CB, AM and LW.