We need a worldclass playmaker at all costs!

[Mido]

I dont think we will buy anyone. There is a reason why we brought back Denis and also add Andre Gomes. We will 100% give them one more year to prove they are capable of playing for Barca. Only players better for our CM spot are Coutinho and Verrati but wont come surely next year. So buying other prospects like for example Dahoud is worthless, because he is not any better then Andre or Denis.
What we should do is to change the system. As we saw in some last matches Denis has got connection with Messi and he is complement with messi, because he can also play RW everytime Messi decides to move in the center. On the other side we should try with Andre- he still has lot thing to improve, but he has all needed skills to be some kind of mixture LCM and box to box player. I also believe he has good connection with Neymar, what is really important.

So IMO, we should play the toughest matches with Iniesta, but slowly trying to integrate new system with Denis and Andre in other matches. If it doesnt work, than we should spent some big money for CM in summmer 2018.

Also what Im thinking lately- We bought Arda for about 40mil and Paco for 30. With this 70mil we could get Reus, who can any of position upfront and also CM in some matches against weaker opponents.

Grealy agree with you, great post !

 

[DonAK]

Forget Verratti, try to convince Koke one more time.

 

[xXKonan]

Forget Verratti, try to convince Koke one more time.

Didn't Lucho want Koke back in 2014 when he got here? I remember reading a lot of rumors we were heavily interested in him at the time.

 

[DonAK]

Didn't Lucho want Koke back in 2014 when he got here? I remember reading a lot of rumors we were heavily interested in him at the time.

Yes, I believe so, but he rejected our offer back then which is understandable as they had just won a league title and were in the CL final. Also an Atleti boy, but perhaps he'll think differently now.

He still hasn't renewed his contract that runs out in 2019.

Actually, forgot Atletico cannot sign any players. Strike him off the list too them

 

[iniesta_8]

sign...

 

[Aryagorn]

What are those numbers?

 

[Yashar1899]

When Messi will permanently move in the center, as he gets older, to be a trequartista (like a much better Totti), we would eventualy need a double pivot as a cover behind him. So, in that respect, it would be better if, in time, we would find ourselves a classic RW and switch to a 4-2-3-1. Someone like Verratti would be ideal for that plan, because he could form a double pivot with Busi, but he could also play a bit higher in a 4-1-4-1.

So, I don't think we need a no10. We have Messi. We need a player who is very solid defensively, runs 11-12 km when he has to, and can also pass very well.

IMO, We need a player with quality of Yaya and a right winger Like Pedro to be great team not Verrati because of old Messi, Diawara (Napoli) is very very good footballer to play alongside Busi and Ousmane (Dortmund) for the right wing!
----------------------- Mats
x -------------- Pique ----- Umtiti ---- Alba
----------------------- Busi
---------- Diawara
-------------------- Messi
Ousmane ------------------------ Neymar
------------------------ Suarez

 

[Gaudi]

Incredible, we had best mid ever maybe and Messi who is basically best mid and attacker in one, and we had time to work on that in peace. Then we sold Thiago forc Cesc then we sold Cesc, we gave away Bellerin now we search for RB, we let go event those La Masia kids who could be of some use like Grimaldo and Deulofeu (at least in Paco's role) adn we bought 2 superstars.

To make thing even better RM coppied our model and bought many technically gifted mids, their only problem now is to keep them happy...but even if they have CR and Bale injured the play good because they realise everything starts from midfield. Imagine us without Ney and Messi for 2 months, we would fight for 6th place.

So we don't only need one playmaker, we need 2 great midfielders.

 

[iniesta_8]

Incredible, we had best mid ever maybe and Messi who is basically best mid and attacker in one, and we had time to work on that in peace. Then we sold Thiago forc Cesc then we sold Cesc, we gave away Bellerin now we search for RB..

We sold Cesc, Thiago, Pedro and Alexis

..and bought Arda, Vidal, Gomes and Alcácer

 

[JamDav1982]

We sold Cesc, Thiago, Pedro and Alexis

..and bought Arda, Vidal, Gomes and Alcácer

Not quite.

The replacement for those players would more accurately be likes of Raki, Neymar and Suarez all of whom played big part in treble.

The overall standard of midfield has dropped too much though and needs sorted.

Gaudi - Bellerin was not 'given away' he chose to chase the money at Arsenal and nothing can be done about that.

 

[DonAK]

Not quite.

The replacement for those players would more accurately be likes of Raki, Neymar and Suarez all of whom played big part in treble.

The overall standard of midfield has dropped too much though and needs sorted.

Gaudi - Bellerin was not 'given away' he chose to chase the money at Arsenal and nothing can be done about that.

Money was probably secondary to Wenger's promise of fast-tracking him to 1st team football, which he lived up to.

Which is something we never could promise, nor would most teams. Real Madrid burned themselves on it with Ødegaard which created a bad dynamic in their Castilla team, and Ødegaard was immensely hyped.

Bellerin was highly regarded, but chose the easy option which in hindsight might actually have been the right option for him just as it was for Icardi.

His comments and his decision to extend would make him very expensive and there's no way we should pay 40m+ for him.

 

[JamDav1982]

Money was probably secondary to Wenger's promise of fast-tracking him to 1st team football, which he lived up to.

Which is something we never could promise, nor would most teams. Real Madrid burned themselves on it with Ødegaard which created a bad dynamic in their Castilla team, and Ødegaard was immensely hyped.

Bellerin was highly regarded, but chose the easy option which in hindsight might actually have been the right option for him just as it was for Icardi.

His comments and his decision to extend would make him very expensive and there's no way we should pay 40m+ for him.

Wenger promises that to all the youngsters and it rarely actually happens. Could be wrong but would wager that the money he would be on at 16 was as big a reason as any that he moved.

 

[DonAK]

Wenger promises that to all the youngsters and it rarely actually happens. Could be wrong but would wager that the money he would be on at 16 was as big a reason as any that he moved.

I think Zubi said in an interview that the reason they couldn't keep Bellerin was because they simply couldn't promise him that he would be playing in Dani Alves' position in 3-4 years when he left.

Either Zubi or Mestre. Will try to find it.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think Zubi said in an interview that the reason they couldn't keep Bellerin was because they simply couldn't promise him that he would be playing in Dani Alves' position in 3-4 years when he left.

Either Zubi or Mestre. Will try to find it.

Of course they cant and neither can Wenger in most cases and players will know that.

The money is a huge part of it otherwise they wouldnt get those contracts to move.

 

[Basho_toporskyi]

Eriksen is a good replacement for iniesta, also note buyin a right back would mean Sergi Roberto can play CM. And that boy is supper in the moddle. Get Mahrez as backup RW