thierry14henry
New member
There is no doubt about it, Barcelona are the most revered club in Europe at the moment. The attacking talent on display, the twelve point gap at the top of La Liga, the unity in the squad, all these factors, and more, have got commentators around the continent lining up to sing their praises. In fact, even players from other clubs are envious; the FIFA World Player, Cristiano Ronaldo, has admitted that Barcelona will be a real force this year, and favourites for both the Spanish league and the Champions League.
Taking all that into consideration, it must be slightly concerning for all those around Europe to think that Barcelona are apparently going to be splashing out €65 million on a certain Karim Benzema next summer. The Frenchman has been hailed has one of the most exciting young talents in the world, and him joining the Catalan side seems like a match made in heaven. However, with the proposed fee not exactly pocket change, and Barcelona already seemingly in full swing, is there an argument that Benzema is not even needed in Catalonia?
Positional Play
First and foremost, the key to any move is where is the new player going to play, and more importantly, who he is going to replace. With the undoubted talent that Benzema has, he would walk into most teams around Europe, but in Barcelona it might well be a different story. Up front already the Catalan side possess world-class players in the form of Samuel Eto’o, current top scorer in La Liga, Lionel Messi, second best player in the world right now, and Thierry Henry, a former superstar coming back to his best.
Out of those three the obvious loser would be Henry, but if that were to happen, would Benzema be comfortable playing as part of a rotation system, and perhaps more significantly, would Joan Laporta would happy spending around €65 million on a super-sub? In essence that is almost a rhetorical question. If Benzema is to play for Barcelona next summer it seems likely that Eto’o will have to leave the club, and whilst this is by no means impossible, with Manchester City reportedly waiting in the wings, it might be foolhardy, considering the Cameroonian appears to be in some of the best form of his life right now.
Yes From Pep?
One of the main reasons for the change in form of Eto’o has to be his new coach Pep Guardiola, and the refreshing attitude that he has instilled at the club. Since taking over, the former player has transformed a dressing room of egos and proud players into a team - a world-class team at that. In just half a season he has made the Camp Nou crowd love Samuel Eto’o again, and the question has to be; would he want Benzema in his side, a man who could potentially disrupt the harmony?
The obvious is answer that no-one knows yet, but with the sale of Ronaldinho and Deco last summer, Barcelona shed themselves of a lot of their star factor, and signing Benzema would surely just bring that back. Besides, any player who is signed for €65 million almost has to play every game, and at the moment, not one player in the Barcelona side has to play every game - not even Messi.
Plus Points
That is not to say of course, that there would be no benefits to signing Benzema, because undoubtedly Barcelona would, on paper at least, be a stronger side with him. His flamboyant style and wonderful technique would be at home in the Camp Nou, and imagining him linking-up with Messi and Andrés Iniesta just whets the appetite even further.
Along with everything he would add to the team though, there is also an important point which has not been mentioned much, and that is what he would take away from another team. Not Lyon, but Real Madrid, the defending La Liga champions, and the side who Benzema has said he dreams of playing for. If Barcelona could sign the Frenchman then it would surely be a major blow to Madrid, and also a great sign of one-upmanship before the new season begins.
Summer Signing?
At the end of the day though, it should not be forgotten that Barcelona have been as successful as they have been this season without many big names signings last summer, at least not in the attacking department. They are a team built on unity and togetherness, and despite the talents of Benzema, could he actually add anything to the side that they don’t already have? And ultimately would it be worth Barcelona splashing out that much money on one player in the summer?
Personally, watching the way that Barcelona are cruising in La Liga and the winning brand of football they are playing week in, week out, I am not convinced the Frenchman would be a worthwhile signing. Sure, he is one of the best players in Europe, and is going to be one of the most sought -fter targets next summer, but Barcelona already have arguably the best team in the continent, and the last thing they need, after a season that looks to be full of success, is a disruption to the harmony, certainly not for €65 million.
Taking all that into consideration, it must be slightly concerning for all those around Europe to think that Barcelona are apparently going to be splashing out €65 million on a certain Karim Benzema next summer. The Frenchman has been hailed has one of the most exciting young talents in the world, and him joining the Catalan side seems like a match made in heaven. However, with the proposed fee not exactly pocket change, and Barcelona already seemingly in full swing, is there an argument that Benzema is not even needed in Catalonia?
Positional Play
First and foremost, the key to any move is where is the new player going to play, and more importantly, who he is going to replace. With the undoubted talent that Benzema has, he would walk into most teams around Europe, but in Barcelona it might well be a different story. Up front already the Catalan side possess world-class players in the form of Samuel Eto’o, current top scorer in La Liga, Lionel Messi, second best player in the world right now, and Thierry Henry, a former superstar coming back to his best.
Out of those three the obvious loser would be Henry, but if that were to happen, would Benzema be comfortable playing as part of a rotation system, and perhaps more significantly, would Joan Laporta would happy spending around €65 million on a super-sub? In essence that is almost a rhetorical question. If Benzema is to play for Barcelona next summer it seems likely that Eto’o will have to leave the club, and whilst this is by no means impossible, with Manchester City reportedly waiting in the wings, it might be foolhardy, considering the Cameroonian appears to be in some of the best form of his life right now.
Yes From Pep?
One of the main reasons for the change in form of Eto’o has to be his new coach Pep Guardiola, and the refreshing attitude that he has instilled at the club. Since taking over, the former player has transformed a dressing room of egos and proud players into a team - a world-class team at that. In just half a season he has made the Camp Nou crowd love Samuel Eto’o again, and the question has to be; would he want Benzema in his side, a man who could potentially disrupt the harmony?
The obvious is answer that no-one knows yet, but with the sale of Ronaldinho and Deco last summer, Barcelona shed themselves of a lot of their star factor, and signing Benzema would surely just bring that back. Besides, any player who is signed for €65 million almost has to play every game, and at the moment, not one player in the Barcelona side has to play every game - not even Messi.
Plus Points
That is not to say of course, that there would be no benefits to signing Benzema, because undoubtedly Barcelona would, on paper at least, be a stronger side with him. His flamboyant style and wonderful technique would be at home in the Camp Nou, and imagining him linking-up with Messi and Andrés Iniesta just whets the appetite even further.
Along with everything he would add to the team though, there is also an important point which has not been mentioned much, and that is what he would take away from another team. Not Lyon, but Real Madrid, the defending La Liga champions, and the side who Benzema has said he dreams of playing for. If Barcelona could sign the Frenchman then it would surely be a major blow to Madrid, and also a great sign of one-upmanship before the new season begins.
Summer Signing?
At the end of the day though, it should not be forgotten that Barcelona have been as successful as they have been this season without many big names signings last summer, at least not in the attacking department. They are a team built on unity and togetherness, and despite the talents of Benzema, could he actually add anything to the side that they don’t already have? And ultimately would it be worth Barcelona splashing out that much money on one player in the summer?
Personally, watching the way that Barcelona are cruising in La Liga and the winning brand of football they are playing week in, week out, I am not convinced the Frenchman would be a worthwhile signing. Sure, he is one of the best players in Europe, and is going to be one of the most sought -fter targets next summer, but Barcelona already have arguably the best team in the continent, and the last thing they need, after a season that looks to be full of success, is a disruption to the harmony, certainly not for €65 million.
Maybe in another 3 years Bojan will develop into one of the best strikers. But for now Benzema is obviously better.