Barca Transfers and Rumors

[Behrox]

I dont know man, he's beating his man with dribbling and pace from a stopped position. That isnt something Pedri can do. He beats his man with clever turns and body movements, but not with pace like Moleiro does.

Think about the role Raphinha has had on the left side. Moleiro could 100% walk into that role no problem but could be an alternative option with his dribbling while Raphinha is more of a predator. I think it was you who mentioned him in the past, solid scouting there.

Put Raphina in the middle running off the shoulder of the CF

 

[draconifire]

Lewa is leaving this or next year anyway, and your solution is to get rid of the guy, who finally hit his stride in this team and is the only viable replacement for him right now? We're not getting a top striker for 50M, which is the max we would get for Ferran. If the club are determined to get in a LW as our big signing this summer, the only solution is to wait and pull up our striker funds for 2026 (Isak is staying at Newcastle btw, so he'll still be available then, or Alvarez after another trophyless year with Atletico might be more inclined to start looking elsewhere) and go big then, if we can't get Lewa to leave now. And just get someone on loan until then to help Lewa this season, then both go and we go big on a striker next summer. But chasing Isak/Alvarez is probably a 100M+ fee we're talking about, so it can't be this summer, if we go down that route.

Or go with a cheaper, developmental option in Sesko this summer, since he will be leaving Leipzig and be available now. If only we wouldn't be hell bent on spending 60M+ on a LW alone, we could maybe even get both a LW and striker this summer, which is an option/road we could take, but that would require abandoning this dumb Diaz obsession, and probably also not going for either Nico/Leao, but actually scout, find the right profile of a winger for a fraction of the price instead of looking at big names (and big prices), and also take a compromise on the striker, abandoning all hopes for an Isak/Alvarez big name there too.

It's all about priorities, and what Flick thinks we need most asap, and what can wait for another year.

As I have stated, my premise is that Lewa is not leaving this Summer. And with contract negotiations that are rumoured, he might even stay till 2027. Lets just say he leaves next year. We will need an ST then.
My issue is playing this year with Lewa and Ferran as our ST. The Inter game showed us, Ferran is not a target man, he is not good enough to bail us out in those games. He got bullied. And in CL we will get Inter, Atletico, Arsenal. In the knockout stages, we need our ST to perform and I belive neither Lewa with his Old Legs and Ferran will do it for us.
Yes I would 100% keep Ferran as a backup to our ST. But when your ST is Old and not going anywhere next season, you might aswell try to sell the Backup for money to go get a Striker that is available this season.
Sesko will be 100m, Isak next year will be 150m easily. Would rather look at Gyokeres or Osimhen for around 65m and we atleast have a chance to reach the Finals.

 

[Porque]

It's basically an open secret that Atleti will sign Baena and Villarreal will replace him with Moleiro.

He's about the level of Fermin. So yeah, if we sold Fermin for big money, then sure, can get Moleiro for less.

 

[Porque]

Gabriel Veiga to Porto for 15m.

Seems cheap. No idea what the Saudi stint has done to his progress, but knowing Porto, one yeah in the 'chop and he will be worth triple that.

Shame Euro Villarreal didn't look at him.

 

[Messi983]

I dont know man, he's beating his man with dribbling and pace from a stopped position. That isnt something Pedri can do. He beats his man with clever turns and body movements, but not with pace like Moleiro does.

Think about the role Raphinha has had on the left side. Moleiro could 100% walk into that role no problem but could be an alternative option with his dribbling while Raphinha is more of a predator. I think it was you who mentioned him in the past, solid scouting there.

Here is 16 yo Pedri in Segunda. He was dribbling past opponents pretty easy too imo.

Think he was faster then than now and injuries surely played a role here.

Sadly not much available advanced stats from that Pedri 2019/20 season (Segunda is ofc not covered as good as La Liga) and it would be hard to directly compare considering Pedri played in a lower division anyway. OTOH he was 4 years younger at the time than Moleiro now so that kind of make up for a difference in a level of competition imo.

Don't get me wrong, we could do a lot worse (for example spending 50m+ on Diaz) than sign Moleiro for 15-20m. I think we could find a role for him and he would improve just playing alongside better players and in an ultra-offensive system. I could be wrong but as said I don't think his longterm future is as a winger and with Yamal's creativity on one side and Rapha's workrate (and end product which will hopefully continue next season as well though I don't think he can repeat this season) what we are lacking upfront is that explosiveness we've lost with Dembele's departure. Something to keep defenses honest so they can't focus on Lamine so much. One of the reasons why I believe despite what most people considered a down season Nico would still be a great strategic signing is their chemistry and as we've seen in NT how they make each other better when defenders have to take both of them (each with their own strengths) into account. Getting a more mobile striker would take pressure (and we should def do that if we don't want to break him before he even turns 20) of Yamal as well but we know it won't happen this summer.

And from Moleiro's perspective I think he should (and will) go to a club where he'll be a starter or at least have a much more important role than he'd have here. I believe he likes Barca (although not sure how close he is to Pedri; they are a few years apart and were never team mates at UDLP) but AFAIK he's not a "born cule" like Pedri who's whole familly supported Barca for generations.

Ofc nothing wrong with that and I'm sure Moleiro would seriously consider our offer (if he would get one which I doubt will happen) but would Barca bench be the best career move at this point? Don't think so. And surely Barca's doors for the future wouldn't close for him if he'd go to a Sevilla, Betis, Sociedad or Villarreal (I believe they are the best possible fit and there are strong rumours they'll go after him after they sell Baena) and kill it there for 2-3 years. Yeah, he would be more expensive in future but also a more developed player and we would have a better idea what we are really buying and how/where to use him.

Time to buy him cheap (though that was never a realistic possibility with Las Palmas president always refering to his BO clause) and mould him into whatever player we wanted was a few years ago but we were just not in a financial position to do that. Or just as likely our Sporting Department liked him but weren't totally sold he's a "can't miss talent" like Pedri. Time will probably prove they were right. As said I've been a Moleiro fan since his breakthrough and while I think he'll have a (very) good career I doubt he'll ever make it to a really elite level like Pedri.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Sesko will be 100m, Isak next year will be 150m easily. Would rather look at Gyokeres or Osimhen for around 65m and we atleast have a chance to reach the Finals.

Osimhen is asking for 12M net (24M gross) , and 15M signing bonus in addition to his agent signing bonus, to add to the 70M signing fee. That is over 40M in annual masa salary cost of our salary cap, almost 10% of it. Never mind that it will make every player of ours looking at him and wondering why he is paid more. That is tge minimum to stay in Europe. Al-Hilal is offering him 40M tax free.

At least someone like Lewa is a football legend and players will understand him getting more due to his status as a player.

Gyökeres seems interested in going back to England where he had 5 years there. He has clubs like Arsenal and Manu after him and he will get starting spot with almost zero competition there. Why would he join Barca and compete with Lewa for another year.

Sesko, right now, isn't even better than Torres.

We aren't getting a starting caliber striker if we sell Ferran, and if anything, there might be a chance we won't get a better striker than him in the near future

 

[Messi983]

Time to start scouting Big Samu for 2026.

Worked pretty well last time we had a striker with this name.

 

[DonAK]

Rumor we've also enquired Brighton for Bart Verbruggen who I'm not the biggest fan of tbh.

Seem certain though that Deco and Flick want a new starting GK sooner or later though.

 

[jamrock]

SA pro league is starting to slowly but surely fall apart

 

[Porque]

SA pro league is starting to slowly but surely fall apart

What's happened?

Al Ahli just won the CL so probably a mutual decision of Veiga wanting out, and Ahli a slot for a bigger star name.

 

[DonAK]

Would very much prefer Joan Garcia or Chevalier.

Verbruggen scares me with ter Statue vibes.

 

[jamrock]

What's happened?

Al Ahli just won the CL so probably a mutual decision of Veiga wanting out, and Ahli a slot for a bigger star name.

No reason just a feeling I have.

 

[Porque]

No reason just a feeling I have.

I just seen they bought the rights to the Final 8 in the Asian Champions League, and have a mini tournament of one legged games over the month.

Interesting.

 

[DonAK]

Doesn't seem like there's massive interest locally. Cristiano's team cannot even fill up their stadium halfway.

 

[Andresito]

Just thinking back to Courtois and how lucky Madrid were with that market opportunity. Keylor was still doing fairly well and wasn't in urgent need of replacement. That transition went seamlessly and RM have had a great GK for many many years now.