Leo Messi chose Miami. A decision that FC Barcelona already sensed in the sports city since the beginning of May. They understand it. “He has valued his tranquility. These two years in Paris have not been easy for him”, they explain from the offices of Sant Joan DespÃ, who place the Argentine’s change of attitude in the trip he made to Saudi Arabia and which triggered the fury of the PSG fans and ultras. After that difficult moment, the family stability that playing for Inter Miami will bring him began to win the game over the multi-million dollar offer from Saudi Arabia and his desire to return to Barça. “Now the club must turn a corner”, they insist. And they focus on the fact that the sports management led by Mateu Alemany with Deco, whose appointment as an official member of the technical secretariat will take place in the coming days, must concentrate on strengthening itself so that Barça can be competitive , especially in Europe.
Officially the first team is already on vacation. He will return to activity on Monday, July 10, the day when the players will carry out the usual medical tests and will have their first training session in the afternoon. On July 19, they will set course for the club’s tour of the United States. Not everyone there will travel. Or at least that’s what coach Xavi Hernández wants. Today, the coach will meet with the club’s top sports team to start implementing his plan of arrivals and departures. He will also begin to communicate to the footballers with whom he does not count that the best thing for all is that they look for an exit. Those highlighted are Kessié, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati. All three sense it. In the case of 10 of the planter, a transfer is not ruled out. In addition, with the arrival of center Iñigo MartÃnez, who will be the first official signing, offers will also be heard for Eric Garcia.
Beyond the center, Xavi Hernández has his priorities clear. Strengthening the team with a defensive pivot and an interior are the main objectives. For the pivot position, I really like MartÃn Zubimendi, a Real Sociedad footballer with a contract until 2027 and a clause of 60 million euros. Despite the difficulty of the operation, the coaching staff is not throwing in the towel. Another name that fits them is that of Kimmich, who has a contract with Bayern Munich until 2026. Marcelo Brozovic and, to a lesser extent, Amrabat, are two names that are also on the list. Rúben Neves is not there. The Portuguese pivot of Wolverhampton who represents Jorge Mendes is one of the names that the club insists on, but Xavi does not see the Portuguese as a replacement for Sergio Busquets. The same happens with Nico González. The one from the youth team loaned to Valencia this season is not convincing. The technical team considers that it is a poor defensive profile and a transfer is not ruled out. The favorite to occupy the inside position and free Pedri from having to play all the games is Gündogan, who would arrive on a free transfer from Manchester City.
It is not such a priority for Xavi to strengthen the right back. The coach believes that with Sergi Roberto and Koundé he can cover this position. He also wants to promote Julián Araújo, a 24-year-old Mexican who arrived in the last winter market with the idea of ​​strengthening the subsidiary and who will also try out with the first team. The operation was not closed within the deadlines set by LaLiga and the full-back has remained all this time without playing. He had a friendly debut in Tokyo and left a good impression.
The intention is to recover Abde and bet strongly on Lamine Yamal, the 15-year-old youth, renewing him with a first team card. Illustrate his explosiveness, his youth and his talent. But the market is long. After Messi’s “no”, they do not rule out being able to add one more striker.