Hansi Flick, Barcelona manager
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Barcelona have not exactly been quiet in the transfer market this summer.
The Catalan club have gone through a significant reshaping of Hansi Flick’s squad, spending more than €190 million on seven players while bringing in around €108 million from departures.
That leaves Barça with a net spend of around €82 million.
It is a sizeable figure, particularly for a club that has spent much of the past few summers having to calculate every major move around its financial limitations.
This time, though, there has been considerably more room to manoeuvre and Barcelona have used it.
The arrivals of Rodri and Anthony Gordon, both costing €80m (including add-ons), have naturally attracted most of the attention.
However, the more interesting part of the window may be how the club has gone about rebuilding the squad around them.
Rodri and Gordon headline an ambitious window
Rodri is understandably the signing that changes the complexion of the team.
Marc Bernal, Barcelona player
Rodri has been Barcelona’s headline signing. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Barcelona have added a midfielder with the experience to control games and the defensive understanding to give Flick greater security in front of the defence.
Furthermore, Gordon brings something different.
The England international offers pace, aggression and direct running, giving the attack another way of hurting opponents.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have also invested €29 million (including add-ons) in Karim Adeyemi, another player capable of stretching defences with his speed.
Gabriel Jesus arrived from Arsenal for a reported €15 million, while Jesse Bisiwu cost €8.5 million. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was signed for €2 million, and Joao Cancelo returned on a free transfer.
Simply put, Barcelona have spent heavily where they believe immediate quality was required, but they have not ignored cheaper opportunities either.
The departures tell an equally important story
On the other hand, the €108 million raised through sales is not insignificant.
Ferran Torres is responsible for the largest chunk, with Barcelona receiving €48.5 million for his departure.
Ansu Fati brought in €11 million, while Tommy Marques and Hector Fort generated €11 million and €8.5 million, respectively.
There were also exits for Jofre Torrents, Jan Virgili, Toni Fernandez, Guille Fernandez, Inaki Pena and Alvaro Cortes.
Ferran Torres of Spain
Ferran Torres is Barcelona’s biggest summer sale. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Not every departure will have the same sporting significance, but collectively they have helped clear space for the new arrivals.
That matters because Barcelona were not trying to make their squad more expensive. Rather, they needed to make it more coherent.
The club has moved on players who were no longer central to the plans while bringing in profiles designed to give Flick more options across the pitch.
An €82 million net spend will inevitably create expectations.
Barcelona have invested enough money to make this more than an ordinary summer, and the presence of Rodri, Gordon, Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus means there is now considerably more responsibility on Flick’s squad to deliver, especially in the Champions League.
The encouraging part for Barça is that this does not feel like spending for the sake of spending. Rather, there is a clear attempt to alter the balance of the squad.
Rodri brings control. Gordon and Adeyemi add speed. Gabriel Jesus brings experience in attack. Livakovic adds another option in goal, while Cancelo offers versatility.
Barcelona have put considerable money behind Flick’s project, and now comes the difficult part: making all of it work together.
Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid player
Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid player