Xavi is keen on beefing up his squad with quality to accelerate their return to glory days.
The problems at FC Barcelona cannot be overstated. On and off the pitch, the Catalan giants have made the news. Results have not been as expected, with the club finances far fromal.
Xavi Hernandez was supposed to herald a new beginning for the club. He was to usher them back to glorious days. While there is improvement in the team, they are still far off the mark.
Barcelona need players and quality ones, but their finances have made things difficult. It is the reason Los Blaugrana is looking for bargain buys.
Barcelona have found selling players an arduous task. They were, however, able to bring in Ferran Torres due to some financial ingenuity. They have two offers on the table that might interest Xavi.
Two offers for Barca revamp
Undoubtedly, Barcelona require top-quality players to get them back to the glory days of yore. While there has been a remarkable improvement in the team, work still needs to be done. News making the rounds is that the Catalan giants have offers for two left-backs this month.
Xavi continues to rebuild the squad and is keen on more additions. According to Spanish transfer journalist Gerard Moreno, both Manchester United left-back Alex Telles and Ajax Nicolás Tagliafico have been offered as options to Barcelona before the transfer window shuts.
The team currently have ageing veteran Jordi Alba and 18-year-old La Masia graduate Alex Balde at left-back. Xavi wants a quality left-back to deputize for the ageing Jordi Alba. In the advent of an injury, Xavi does not believe that Balde will suffice, especially in crunch matches. It is why Xavi requires a player with adequate experience in the side.
Telles has overtaken Luke Shaw in the pecking order as he has featured more regularly for the Red Devils in the last two months. The advent of Ralf Rangnick has seen the Portuguese get more game time, but rumours are rife with a move away from Old Trafford.
Tagliafico is a name that has made the rounds over a move from Ajax Amsterdam. He has remained a consistent performer at Ajax but will look to test himself at the highest levels, and a club the size of Barcelona portends a suitable opportunity.
Barca to offload Dembele
With improvements required at Barcelona, the Catalans are sweating over the contract situation of French international Ousmane Dembélé. The player has dilly-dallied over a contract extension, and with his contract set to expire in the summer, Barcelona have given him an ultimatum.
The Frenchman has refused to sign a new deal as he has frustrated every effort by the Catalans to tie him to one. Barça chief Mateu Alemany announced that Dembélé is to find a new club before the winter transfer window shuts on January 31.
Dembélé was supposed to be a key cog in Xavi’s wheel, but the club has now sidelined him and is looking to Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati to carry the team.
Meanwhile, Barcelona crashed out of the Copa Del Rey on Thursday, losing 3-2 to Athletic Club Bilbao.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
