A lot has been made of Barcelona’s future transfer plans recently.
As January approaches, rumours are escalating about business both in and out of the Camp Nou. In an article of five possible winter arrivals, it was discussed that the bulk of deals will take place in the summer.
Over time, there has been something of an identity shift in Catalonia. It is well documented and has been mentioned before, but what is interesting is the manner in which Luis Enrique, his successor and the club in general approach the transfer market in the years to come.
La Masia, their fabled youth academy, have produced the backbone of the squad since the turn of the century, and any new signings were recruited to add a sprinkle of star dust. More recently, though, players are joining because the production line is failing.
It is unreasonable to expect anybody to continue developing players to the standards of Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta or Lionel Messi, but more pressure lies on the shoulders of external players than before.
To sign squad players or world-class stars? That is the question currently facing the powers that be at Barcelona. The answer is obvious, combining the two by looking to the future. Bayern Munich’s young midfielder Joshua Kimmich has been linked recently, and here are five reasons why that deal would work for the Blaugrana.