Barcelona’s future: Important decisions to be made this week

With the January transfer window rapidly approaching, Barcelona faces a critical week in which to finalize various matters to start the new year on the right foot.

Xavi’s Arrival

The arrival of new head coach Xavi Hernandez has given the Blaugrana a boost, but the squad still requires some tweaks. The ideal situation for the club would be to bring in some new faces as soon as the window opens so that the Catalan can begin working with them as soon as possible.

Of course, for arrivals to occur, there must also be movement in the opposite direction, so Barcelona’s directors will be kept busy in the coming days.

The Arrival of Ferran Torres

The headline signing of Barcelona’s transfer window is expected to be Spain international Ferran Torres, and securing him is a top priority. An agreement has been reached with both Manchester City and the player, which means that if everything goes as planned, Ferran could be introduced as a Blaugrana player on Tuesday and begin training with his new teammates immediately.

Dembele’s Case

Another pressing issue, and one that has the club racing against the clock, is the expiration of Ousmane Dembele’s contract at the end of the season. Barcelona wants the French winger to stay, but his representatives may have other plans, in which case the club will try to cash in on him now before he signs a pre-contract with another club and leaves for free.

The Exit Lane

Barcelona, as has been stated numerous times, including by director Mateu Alemany, needs to shift players to sign Ferran Torres, and they want to do so as soon as possible. Yusuf Demir appears to be on his way out, while Luuk de Jong could be on his way to Cadiz. Sergino Dest may also be moved on because he hasn’t won Xavi over and needs more minutes.

Registrations

The club cannot sign new players until January 3, when the transfer window officially opens, and Barcelona’s first move will be to replace Sergio Aguero’s name with Dani Alves’. Then, in addition to adding Ferran Torres, the plan is to make Nico Gonzalez and Gavi first-team players to give Xavi more flexibility in terms of blooding youngsters, as the rules require seven registered first-team players to be on the pitch at all times.

Another Contract

In addition to Dani Alves and Ferran Torres, the Blaugrana want another new signing. Making the numbers work will be difficult, but the club is looking for the right move and would like to add another forward or possibly a full-back.

Read: Ousmane Dembele agrees pay cut with Barcelona; will sign until 2026