Barcelona in need of fresh blood to boost depth

FC Barcelona are on their way to a domestic double but complacency is the killer of great teams so fresh signings are needed to revitalize the squad

It seems almost silly to suggest that a team that is a year removed from a treble and is in contention for a double is in need of revitalization but that is the case for FC Barcelona. The current and defending champions of La Liga are in desperate need of quality depth and this season showed why.

After their historic treble, Barcelona were entered in to a few more competitions than it appeared they could handle. Along with the usual Copa Del Rey, La Liga, and Champions League, they played in the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Spanish Super Cup.

More from Playing for 90

• Alexia Putellas reaches 400 games with Barcelona
• Everything you need to know ahead of the 250th ‘Super Clásico’
• Barcelona put five past Real Betis
• Manchester City suffer but come away with win over West Ham
• Baffling Liga MX ruling strips Puebla of a hard-earned victory

They were victims of their own success as the added minutes on a thin squad took its toll in a late season slump in March and April. Barca were dumped out of the Champions League and lost three out of four in the league and their grip on La Liga was suddenly tenuous.

It was the tried and true core of players that got Barcelona through the slump as Luis Suarez, Messi, and Neymar came alive but it was clear that depth was a major issue. Players like Munir and Sergi Roberto tried admirably but there was a significant drop in talent from the first team to the men on the bench.

Gone were the days of calling on the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Pedro to spell the attacking trio and now a group of inexperienced youngsters were often the first off the bench in both defense and attack. While these players are young enough to count as fresh blood, they are not ready for the spotlight.

The average age of the Barcelona squad is 27.8, good enough for 8th in La Liga but lagging behind Real Madrid (26.9) and Atletico Madrid (26.4). Overall age is not the major issue but rather the age of the key contributors in the squad.

More from FC Barcelona

• Alexia Putellas reaches 400 games with Barcelona
• Barcelona put five past Real Betis
• Xavi backs struggling Robert Lewandowski
• Gavi youngest Barcelona player to reach 100 games
• Barcelona struggle but pull out win against Osasuna

Players like Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta, and Jeremy Mathieu are all over 30-years-old, and Gerard Pique, Luis Suarez, and Arda Turan are on the cusp of that mark. Not all of the key players are nearing that age but when players reach 30 and above they simply do not have enough in the tank to play the 50 matches or so usually required from a Barcelona player.

So what is the solution? It is simple enough, spend money on quality players. Barcelona have shown the willingness to spend big on players but most are often in the midst of their prime and in their late-20’s.

The club has splashed the cash on players like Arda Turan, Luis Suarez, and Thomas Vermaelen and all of these players were closer to 30 than 20. Players like Aleix Vidal were also brought in and more of the same needs to be done.

Young players who are comfortable being squad players are hard to find but when Barcelona comes calling it is hard to turn them down. This is especially true for players in Spain who are looking to make the jump from fighting for scraps down the table to joining the fight for La Liga and Champions League titles.

Complacency is the number one killer of football clubs as players who were once great can lose their form and motivation overnight. There must constantly be a fight for places in the squad and the best way to maintain that is to bring in young, hungry, and talented young players. Fresh blood is what keeps a football club’s heart beating and in the case of Barcelona a transfusion is needed pronto.