The 2023-24 season has been a forgettable one for Barcelona, as they came out empty-handed for the first time in a long while.
The Blaugrana failed to defend their La Liga trophy, losing it to Real Madrid by a big margin, and they missed out on the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup after losing to Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid (again).
Other than their La Liga 2024 results, Barcelona are chaotic, and the perfect example of this is when president Joan Laporta persuaded then-manager Xavi to reverse his decision to resign, only to sack him to replace him with Hansi Flick.
It remains to be seen how Flick will fare in Catalunya, given that Barcelona have one of the most rabid fan bases in the world that demands success. However, the preseason La Liga 2024 odds like the German’s chances to do well.
Flick inherits a fairly strong squad
As mentioned, Hansi Flick will be under immense scrutiny, as coaching Barcelona is arguably the biggest job he’s been on, despite having coached the German national team and Bayern Munich previously.
In terms of tactics, Flick typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is different from Xavi’s 4-3-3. From time to time, the German manager may choose to go 3-4-3 when he sees fit.
But like Xavi, Hansi Flick loves his ball-progressing players. Last season, Barcelona led La Liga in through passes per 90 with 2.58, and that shouldn’t change much under the former Die Mannschaft coach.
Fortunately for Flick, he has the requisite players to build from the back, with Pau Cubarsi and Ronald Araujo in centre-half. Last season, Cubarsi was in the 81st percentile for long pass completion percentage across Europe’s top 5 leagues, while Araujo averaged 4.75 passes into the final third.
On the other side of the pitch, Flick will be reunited with Robert Lewandowski, his talisman during his days at Bayern Munich. Despite getting up there in age, Lewandowski, 35, finished as the Blaugrana’s top scorer in 2023-24 with 22 goals and nine assists.
With Lewandowski as the focal point and Lamine Yamal and Raphinha alongside him in the final third, Barcelona will wreak havoc on their opponents’ backlines.
Notable absences in the team
However, the biggest question mark for Hansi Flick is whether he’ll have a full squad available on most nights next season, as Barcelona have a worrying absentee list.
For starters, Gavi is still recovering from a torn ACL he picked up last year, while his midfield partner Pedri suffered a sprained knee in Euro 2024 against Germany in the quarter-finals.
Ronald Araujo is expected to be out for at least four months due to a torn hamstring he sustained while representing Uruguay in the Copa America, and Alex Balde is also on the mend for the same exact injury.
Frenkie de Jong was also sidelined in Euro 2024 after suffering an ankle injury before the start of the continental tournament, and there are fears that he might miss the first few weeks of the new campaign.
With Gavi, Pedri, and de Jong out, Ilkay Gundogan and Sergi Roberto will play a lot at the start of the 2024-25 season, which is far from ideal since they’re getting older. Andreas Christensen will also deputise for Araujo in the meantime.
In other news, Lamine Yamal is not expected to join Barca in their upcoming United States preseason tour because the teenager will be given his full three-week vacation after a busy summer.
Eric Garcia and Pau Cubarsi might also miss the start of the 2023-24 campaign due to their involvement in the Paris Olympics.
Who are their transfer targets?
Barcelona’s fondness for Nico Williams is well documented here at SBOTOP. Joan Laporta, in particular, is a huge admirer of the Athletic Bilbao star, not only because of his production but also because of his potential with Lamine Yamal, as shown during the Euros.
The Blaugrana can pry Williams away from Los Leones by paying his €58 million release clause. However, Barcelona are currently cash-strapped, and Athletic Bilbao are not keen on letting go of Williams, especially since they’re returning to European football next term.
Other than Nico Williams, Barcelona would want to strengthen their midfield amid Gavi, Pedri, and Frenkie de Jong’s spells on the sidelines.
Hansi Flick wanted to bring over Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich, but Barcelona cannot afford to pay the Bavarians’ €50 million valuation of the midfielder.
Instead, Barcelona have pivoted to Mikel Merino, whom they can get for €20 million. Merino is out of contract next summer, as he has not agreed to an extension with Real Sociedad.
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