Barca Transfers and Rumors

[Zidane82]

Yes that’s the rumour

 

[khaled_a_d]

Think Xavi is hoping that he'll be a stop-gap for a season and next year when or if our situation improves he'll get his preferred target such as Zubimendi.

But I think the Zubimendi dream is dead either way. Even if we have the cash He's clearly not interested in a move any time soon which is not all that surprising since Basque players have a strong attachment to the region.

Stop gap is good idea until you give 3 years contract with a salary no Liga club will pay next year.
That is the main issue for me.
Pay them to get him on loan and pay his full salary, but don't add a future deadweight for sake of 1 year.

 

[Don Juan Laporta Estruch]

The plan looks pretty clear for next season. Frenkie will play as DM for the majority of games against weaker opposition. This is actually the best option right now. But Frenkie at DM against strong opposition is a disaster. So they need a pure defensive stopper for those games. Mascherano type.

Win it, get it and give it to those who can play. Not sure that Romeu is great at that even but they should be able to find someone out there who is, given such a limited skill set is required.

 

[JamDav1982]

FDJ would be fine at DM.

The bigger issue is then missing him from the position he is world class in.

Also Busi did not play a pure DM last season anyway he was clearly given permission to leave that area and press at times... trouble is he too often did it at wrong times and without FDJ to babysit him at times was exposed.

 

[mc_lovin]

How are we missing him from the position he’s worldclass in? We have Gundogan and Pedri, it hardly gets better than that.

It’s do or die for Frenkie as DM now.

 

[Porque]

Yeah, or we keep Nico till winter and then in January either go for someone with a bigger budget, or look for a Adama/Auba type deal.

If we can't be top of LaLiga (no big away LL games, Madrid at "home") and get out of the Xavi league group stage as a 1st seed with FdJ, Pedri, Gundagon, Gavi, Kessie, Nico and Bob then something is seriously wrong.

EDIT.

And I'm talking about this option since we have gone

Kimmich
Zubimendi
--->
Brozovic
--->
Dani Potato
--->
Oriol Romeu & Sergi Darder

 

[Don Juan Laporta Estruch]

FDJ would be fine at DM.

The bigger issue is then missing him from the position he is world class in.

Also Busi did not play a pure DM last season anyway he was clearly given permission to leave that area and press at times... trouble is he too often did it at wrong times and without FDJ to babysit him at times was exposed.

The idea of Frenk at DM against high level opposition terrifies me.

Not particularly strong
Not particularly press resistant
Not particularly much of a workhorse
Not particularly great positionally at DM
Not particularly good at tackling
Not particularly brave, (pulls out of a lot of 50/50s).

We've seen Frenkie at DM against elite opposition before. Has never worked. He ain't that guy.

 

[jamrock]

De jong only excels in one position & in one setup, playing him as a DM, worst yet alone DM is just asking for trouble against a top team.

But since we'll most likely still play a Double pivot, gundogan next to him might make it a lot better

 

[mc_lovin]

Not particularly press resistant

What? xD it’s his best quality.

 

[JamDav1982]

How are we missing him from the position he’s worldclass in? We have Gundogan and Pedri, it hardly gets better than that.

It’s do or die for Frenkie as DM now.

Neither of them play the role FDJ did last season.

'Do or die'... nah it wont be.

Others have to show they are good enough like Gavi.

 

[JamDav1982]

De jong only excels in one position & in one setup, playing him as a DM, worst yet alone DM is just asking for trouble against a top team.

But since we'll most likely still play a Double pivot, gundogan next to him might make it a lot better

Fake news.

He has been class in back three, won player of year when playing DM, CM and CB.

Utter nonsense as per usual.

One of if not most versatile players in squad but his very best position is box to box.

Do better.

Ah the double pivot the numpties said Barca and no top team plays anymore and never happen.

 

[JamDav1982]

The idea of Frenk at DM against high level opposition terrifies me.

Not particularly strong
Not particularly press resistant
Not particularly much of a workhorse
Not particularly great positionally at DM
Not particularly good at tackling
Not particularly brave, (pulls out of a lot of 50/50s).

We've seen Frenkie at DM against elite opposition before. Has never worked. He ain't that guy.

Absolute nonsense.

Not particularly strong... Strongest of any Barca starting mid last season.
Not particularly press resistant... ridiculous claim.. one of best in world at that.
Not particularly much of a workhorse... most athletic and hardest working mid Barca have with ability to get about pitch.
Not particularly great positionally at DM... agreed thats not his natural position but reads game well and would need to improve on it. No worse than Busquets was though really and he used to protect him.
Not particularly good at tackling... nonsense.. very good reader of game and winning ball back.
Not particularly brave, (pulls out of a lot of 50/... doesnt.

You sound the type that thinks Gavi is better as runs about like a lunatic.

 

[xXKonan]

Christensen to DM to keep Kounde happy from playing RB most of this season.

 

[mc_lovin]

Not a fan of putting a CB at DM. Especially Christensen doesn’t strike me as a good fit for that.

Midfield will be
Gavi - Pedri
Frenkie - Gundogan

Doesn’t look too shabby, but defence has to compensate quite a bit. And we have virtually no depth.

 

[JamDav1982]

Gavi needs to be a lot better than last season to be level to be a starter at AM.

Needs to provide a lot more in final third.

Busi was not a pure sole DM last season either. There were a lot of games he would press and FDJ would cover him and a lot of games FDJ is the main option of getting ball from CBs.

Folk keep going on about FDJ positioning as DM... Busi didnt stay in position either.. he would hunt the ball early majority of time.

Christensen could maybe play it like Stones.. when defending in back four and on ball moves to DM to let one of the two CMs go up park to DM.

Cant see him ever being a pure DM unless for emergency.