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Transfer Window Roundup – Barcelona Splashing The Cash In The Wrong Places

By on July 17, 2014

Under Luis Enrique, a new dawn for Barcelona is finally opening at the end of an era. Their illustrious streak of five years previous to the appointment of Enrique, which included winning four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, two Champions Leagues, and two FIFA Club World titles, is over. The seniors in Barcelona’s squad, like Xavi and Andres Iniesta, are slowly being rotated out of their lineup – Xavi is even strongly linked to a move to the new Major League Soccer club New York City FC, while Victor Valdes, who had previously announced his imminent departure from the club, is likely to move to Monaco.

Enrique has begun the transition Barcelona have needed to go through, from the unbeatable homegrown tiki-taka kings back to the brilliant foreign talent they held in Ronaldinho and more in the years previous to Pep Guardiola’s reign. And last summer, with the signing of the club’s first manager that was not a part of the tiki-taka era since it began, Enrique, the process into the new dawn started. The club then invested a club record of £50.25 million in Neymar, the Brazilian super-starlet the same summer. This summer, their attacking options have been further widened. Luis Suarez has joined the club from Liverpool, for another club record of over £71 million. Enrique also acquired goalkeepers Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo, while midfielder Ivan Rakitic has moved to the Nou Camp for £15.84m. In total, the club have spent £169,930,000 on improvements. That’s more than Real Madrid, who have spent £168,520,000 on the like of Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos since the start of the summer 2013 transfer window.

And that sum of nearly £170 million has gone to good use. It is hard to imagine a better attacking lineup in the world, with a front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar. Their midfield isn’t what it used to be, but Rakitic, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto, the recently signed Rafinha, and Ibrahim Afellay, doesn’t make a bad midfield either. However, where Barcelona were most vulnerable last season was at the back. Gerard Pique has not been exactly at the peak of form, while the loss of Carles Puyol has been dreadful for Barca. And aside from Pique, the relatively inexperienced Marc Barta and Javier Mascherano, a defensive midfielder converted to center-back, Barca have no other options at the center-back position. But yet are they to sign any defenders. In fact, not a single penny of that £169,930,000 has gone into signing a defender, much less center-back. There are rumors that Matts Hummels might join the club from Borussia Dortmund, but they are hardly substantial.

If Barcelona want to bounce back from their disappointing title-less season, they need to sign a center-back. Simply, they cannot surpass Real Madrid or other La Liga title favorites without one, even two. But so far, that has not been on Enrique’s agenda. One can only hope that it is for the second half of the summer transfer window.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.