Barcelona will reportedly look to secure the services of two players in January despite the Financial Fair Play restrictions imposed by La Liga.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Xavi Hernandez wants Barcelona to complete two signings in the January transfer window. The Blaugrana will thus look to bring in a right-back and a midfielder this coming winter.
The 2022/23 season has been a rollercoaster ride thus far for Barcelona. They have taken La Liga by storm following their spending spree in the summer transfer window. And the only blip in the top flight has come in the defeat to bitter rival Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the campaign.
The Catalan giants are currently sitting atop La Liga after dropping points just twice in the first 14 games. And Barcelona’s numbers are remarkable as they have conceded only five goals while finding the back of the net a league-high 33 times. So they have an impressive goal difference of +28. But things have not been so rosy for Barcelona in Europe.
The Blaugrana won just two of the six group-stage games in the UEFA Champions League, both of them coming against the unheralded Viktoria Plzen. And failure to beat Bayern Munich and Inter Milan has meant that Barcelona will resume European football in the UEFA Europa League next year.
Xavi Hernandez has pointed fingers at two problem areas for Barcelona’s failures this season, those being right-back and midfield. The right-back berth, in particular, has been a major concern for Xavi this season. After letting Dani Alves depart as a free agent, Barcelona loaned out Sergino Dest to AC Milan.
But signing a replacement for not straightforward, and the Blaugrana landed Hector Bellerin in a deadline-day move. However, Bellerin has been unimpressive this season, with Xavi even preferring Alejandro Balde over him. And recent reports have linked the Spaniard with AS Roma.
Meanwhile, several right-backs have emerged on Barcelona’s radar, including Cesar Azpilicueta. As for the midfield unit, Bernardo Silva remains a top target, with Ilkay Gundogan another option for Xavi. And recent reports have indicated that Barcelona will track the Manchester City duo at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
But while the Catalan giants want to complete two signings in January, La Liga’s FFP rules restrict them from making moves in the winter without balancing their books. So Barcelona will need a contingency plan, that being Sergi Roberto. The veteran Spaniard will be an option for both positions if financial issues remain a stumbling block.
