Barcelona In The Transfer Window - Reaching For The Next Dimension

For a moment let us put ourselves into the huge shoes of Pep Guardiola. One year back he was coaching the B side. When Laporta decided to have him replace the very successful Rijkaard it was a surprising decision. A rookie was being trusted instead of one of the world's top coaches being sought. Now one year later this very same man has completed the unprecedented treble which makes it impossible to believe that it was actually his first season ever in Spanish top flight.

So while most would feel that Pep has already done enough, other teams' think tanks would spend days and nights wondering how to match up to this awesome team, Pep being the ruthless ambitious genius that he is does not think that this is the zenith. He wants to take the team to dimensions unseen before. However how do you go about improving a team which is already said to be playing football a few years ahead of everyone else? Let's look at the team position wise and see what has been improved and what can be improved.

As far as the goal keeper's position goes, it is always said with some validity that Victor Valdes is not world class. However time and again he has performed when needed for Barcelona and quite sensibly they don't see the need to replace him.

Looking at the left back now, perhaps the only player in last season's first eleven who did not convince is Eric Abidal. He just cannot match up to what Dani Alves does on the other flank in an attacking sense. So enter Maxwell - one of the most underrated players in the world today. At E5m he is not a bargain but a steal. If Hleb goes the other way on loan as part of this deal, it will make more sense from Inter's perspective. It's said that the emergence of Davide Santon caused him to leave Inter. However it's more likely that they have sold a really good player because of his problems with Mourinho. In Maxwell we have the player who will make Barcelona's left flank as strong as the right. He is a little suspect defensively but for that it's the central defense and defensive midfield which will have to be strong. Besides when it's very important to maintain a lead and see out the match, Abidal may be played instead.

As far as the right back is concerned, Dani Alves is world class without doubt. Is a backup needed? Not really because Alves has high fitness levels and others like Puyol can do an adequate job in his absence.

Now let's move to the central defense. We do have a lot of options here but the quality is a little suspect because the stalwarts are aging. Caceres hasn't cut it and will probably leave. Henrique may not be able to impress Pep enough and have to go out on loan. However the arrival of Dmitri Chygrynskiy seems imminent and with that this position will be well covered especially with Milito returning in a few months.

Moving on now to the defensive midfield, it is this position which confuses this writer most. Why is Barcelona so desperate to get Mascherano? He is probably the best pure defensive midfielder in the world today but in Yaya Toure they already have the player who could go on to become the best. If the African Cup of Nations is the reason, you surely cannot ask for a player of that quality for this reason. Besides you also have Busquets, Keita ( also away during that time ) and even Marquez as cover. This writer does not see any need for reinforcements here.

Now we come to what is the talk of the football world - the position of the central striker. We will leave aside the ethical issues of whether Eto'o deserved to be treated this way and look at the issue from a purely logical perspective. Those of us who think that David Villa was Barca's first choice are sadly mistaken. He was always the second choice. Even before the UCL final there were rumors about Barcelona being interested in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Later an Ibra-Eto'o swap was discussed between Laporta and Moratti. However it seemed impossible to happen and that's when Barca started going after Villa. There was no way they could pay for Ibra in straight cash and Inter may not accept either. However it's quite clear that Barcelona never pursued Villa with as much motivation as they had pursued Ibra. Why? Villa is without question one of the best strikers in the world. However from Barcelona's perspective he is an improved version of Eto'o - better technically and slightly more clinical. Ibrahimovic on the other hand is key to the next dimension that Pep wants to move to. Evaluate Ibrahimovic objectively as a player and he is easily one of the brightest pure talents. Other than speed there is virtually nothing missing in his armor. Most importantly he covers all the areas which were the weaknesses of Barcelona's attack last season. He is physically strong, good in the air, can shoot from distance and has set piece ability. Besides on days when the likes of Messi and Iniesta fail to fire, Ibra's ball skills and creativity can see Barca through. Some say he will not score as many goals as Eto'o but since the Spanish league is not as defensively strong as Serie A, this may not be the case. Besides he will create a lot more for the others. Why this deal happened is anyone's guess? Valencia refused to release Villa at the price offered. At the same time something happened that seemed to indicate to Mourinho and Moratti that there was no point forcing Zlatan to stay at Inter. They showed greater class and wisdom than the management of Bayern Munich and Valencia for instance. A few may see this as an extravagant purchase but Barcelona killed two birds with one stone. Eto'o just had to leave for maintaining squad morale while Barca got the player they wanted. Now in Ibra's absence Henry will be the center forward and even Bojan will be tried at times. No extra purchase is needed.

So with this we come to the attacking midfield which here means the central midfield as well as the left and right flank. This writer sees this as the only area of concern. The first choice players here are the best in the world but where is the cover? Right now if two key players get major injuries, it could spell doom for Barca's season. At least two creative midfielders need to be bought especially with Hleb out and Gudjohnsen who any way never cut it in this team also possibly leaving. The big problem here is that the best of options such as Fabregas, David Silva and even Juan Mata will not want to come if they are not guaranteed a place in the first eleven. Even if Pep will rotate they may not start the big matches and that's something they do not want especially since this is a world cup year. Ultimately this is where the challenge now lies for Barcelona in the rest of the transfer window. They need to pick the right players and be able to get them.

In conclusion there is still a little doubt as to how Zlatan will fit into the team's style of play. Will they still play by interchanging positions continuously or will Zlatan remain glued to the center? Either way if Pep can fit him into the team and adequate cover is acquired, even six trophies don't seem impossible. What's more is this could be the most devastating attacking force, if not in history then certainly for a long time. As for Zlatan being a big match flop, this writer feels that with all the quality around, his performances and with that this perception will change.

With Real Madrid having made their galactico purchases any match featuring either of the big two of Spain just becomes unmissable. Not only are we desperately waiting for the season to start but it will be so difficult to get through five working days dreaming of what's to come during the weekend. As a Barcelona fan, one just cannot ask for more.