Laliga News 2020: Barcelona recovered from a series of unrest with the players lacking faith in the current board. Their 2-8 loss to Bayern caused a disruption in the squad. Club captain Lionel Messi demanded the board to retire or he would leave the club. However, things took an abrupt turn as the six-time Balon D’or winner stayed put at Camp Nou. Josep Maria Bartomeu faced criticism for blocking Messi’s transfer and holding his position as the president.
Barca’s arch-rival Real Madrid did not end the previous campaign on a good note either. Both the Spanish clubs were eliminated at the knockout stages of the Champions League. The Los Blancos still managed to win La Liga with Zinedine Zidane completed his first season on his return. Barcelona suffered more between the two teams. (Laliga News 2020)
Barcelona and Real Madrid: Both facing similar problems (Laliga News 2020)
The Blaugrana seems to undergo reconstruction with veteran players leaving the club. Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal joined Sevilla and Inter Milan respectively. Koeman allowed Semedo and Luis Suarez to exit the Catalunya club in this summer transfer window. The Uruguayan International had his Juventus move stalled with Alvaro Morata signing instead of him. Suarez will probably sing with Atletico Madrid replacing Morata.
Nelson Semedo successfully completed his transfer to Wolves for €40 million. This funding is absolutely necessary for Barcelona to actively participate to bring in new players. Lack of budget is a problem for the majority of the clubs in Europe. The coronavirus outbreak hampered the financial stability of the clubs. Barca was close to signing Eric Garcia but a sudden increase in price tag saw the move halt. (Laliga News 2020)
The Great Spanish Sell-Off
Koeman also has a couple of players in his shortlist whom he would like to include in his first-team. Lyon’s Memphis Depay is linked with the club for a long time as a cheap alternative Lautaro Martinez. However, Barca needs to balance its book before making any significant signing. Since they are spending more than £500 million on wages, Barca needs to release or sell some players. La Liga’s governing body planted a temporary ban on the club for overspending. (Laliga News 2020)
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Real Madrid is also trying to recoup funds making sales and loaning out players. Big stars like James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale paved their way away from Satiago Bernabeu. This will free up funds for new signings and equalizing the losses incurred due to the pandemic. Madrid also sold Hakimi to the Nerazzurri and Reguilon to Tottenham.
Los Blancos have prepared a plot to execute their transfers after one season where they will sign a forward, a midfielder and a defender. Zidane hints the players are Mbappe, Camavinga and Dayot Upamecano respectively, as per AS. (Laliga News 2020)
