Hansi Flick has insisted throughout the season that Barça‘s results and titles were down to teamwork and the fighting spirit of each and every member of the squad and that, therefore, although some players have stood out above the rest in all competitions, no one is irreplaceable.
Deco, Barça’s sporting director, does not seem to agree when, just a few days ago, he said that one of the priorities for the transfer market is to find players with similar characteristics to Lamine and Raphinha. “Suddenly we feel very dependent on Raphinha and Lamine. Maybe we need similar players, a solution for them,” he said.
The truth is that both have a point. While it is true that the goals and assists of the lethal trio of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Lewandowski have been key to Barça’s success, there have been several supporting players who have played a fundamental role throughout the season, such as Ferran Torres and Fermín López.
Fermín on a roll
The latter has been a key player in the final stages of the league, which saw the title sealed. On Sunday, in the defeat against Villarreal, Fermín found the net for the third time in the last four games of the domestic competition. In fact, he scored a fourth goal, one per game, but his goal against Real Madrid in El Clásico, which decided LaLiga, was disallowed and did not count.
The player has earned himself a place in the starting line-up in recent games and has made the most of it. During the season, Hansi Flick has given him sporadic minutes, which he has always made the most of, putting in some great performances that have not gone unnoticed in one of the best leagues in the world, where the Premier League is longing for the Barça youth player.
The Premier League is pushing for Fermín
Manchester United and Bayern Munich are two of the clubs that would be willing to invest the most money. Within the Premier League, the Reds would not be alone, as their neighbors City have also set their sights on the youth player. In addition, there is another team in the English league, Chelsea, that would also be willing to go all out for the player.
According to Miguel Rico in Relevo, there is concern in Barcelona about possible offers from the Premier League. The financial power of English clubs is a serious threat to Barça’s economic situation, which could look favorably on getting rid of some of its luxury reserves to bring in a good amount of money to ease the situation.
Laporta reassures fans with Fair Play
In this regard, in interviews given in recent days, Laporta has reassured Barça fans on the issue of the salary cap and financial fair play. “Fair play is set by LaLiga at the end of the season depending on budgets. We will bring in 950 million euros this year. Next season, the budget will exceed €1 billion. We are confident that we will be at 1:1. This makes it much easier for Deco to work,“ said the Barça president. He added that ”last season we ended with positive results and that helped us a lot. Above all, it is easier for Deco to work with 1-1 than with 1-4.” The president’s message provides some reassurance, hinting that there will be departures, but it will not be necessary to sell players such as Fermín, who have become key players for Hansi Flick.