Xavi’s Barcelona will probably feel blessed about the week of holidays coming up, as the team clearly needs a break.
The Catalans struggled to win their last La Liga game against bottom side Almeria on Wednesday night. Despite the 3-2 victory it was a performance that sparked the harshest words of criticism we have heard from Xavi towards his group.
Just after that match, Barcelona jetted off to Dallas where they played a friendly against Mexican side Club America. It kicked off 33 hours after the full-time whistle against Almeria and was a desperate manoeuvre from the club to earn some extra money — it was expected to bring in about €4million (£3.4m; $4.4m). Barca fielded a mixture of academy and senior players — and they lost 3-2.
Nobody at the club saw it as a trip that made sense from a sporting point of view, and the players would have appreciated a rest. But the club’s financial situation is what it is.
Now at least, they are allowed to switch off and spend Christmas with their families. On December 28 they will be recalled to resume training sessions ahead of their next La Liga match on January 4.
By then, Xavi can expect to have good news in terms of new additions. Brazilian 18-year-old striker Vitor Roque will join the first team before the end of the year, and is expected to be ready to play for Barcelona next month.
Here, The Athletic looks at exactly what we can expect from Barca in the January transfer window.
Let’s start by explaining the situation with Roque.
When the striker’s signing was made official in August, Barcelona agreed with Athletico Paranaense and the player that he would join in January. The deal was worth €30million (£25.7m; $32.3m) — plus as much again in potential add-ons.
Barca’s usual financial problems, and especially their trouble conforming with La Liga’s salary limit rules, left senior club figures doubting whether that would actually happen since. In September, Barcelona had their spending cap cut to €270million by La Liga, with their wage bill standing at over €400m. The competition body does not allow clubs who are overspending on wages to register new players.
But the recent anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Gavi changed things.
La Liga’s rules on financial controls include a special section that gives clubs flexibility in case a registered player suffers an injury that will keep them out for longer than four months. According to article 77 of La Liga’s financial regulations, the affected club can register a replacement so long as their wages do not exceed 80 per cent of the injured player’s.
Vitor Roque scored 12 times in the Brazilian top flight in 2023 (Gabriel Machado/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Both Barcelona and La Liga sources have confirmed the salary space freed up in this case by Gavi will be more than enough to register Roque. But La Liga rules also state he can only be registered as a replacement for Gavi for four months. This means it is likely that Barcelona will choose to complete his registration towards the end of January, so he will be eligible for the rest of the domestic season, which ends in late May. But he will be eligible to play for Barca in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey in early January, regardless of when he is registered with La Liga.
So, despite recent poor performances that have seen them drop seven points behind joint leaders Girona and Real Madrid, and despite the recent interference from president Joan Laporta in his team selection, Xavi will receive at least one gift this festive season.
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Beyond Roque’s arrival, we should not expect the rumour mill around the club to take a break any time soon.
Xavi has publicly asked the club to try and get a new signing in midfield — not just because of Gavi’s long term injury, but Pedri’s fitness problems and the fact summer signing Oriol Romeu has fallen out of favour too.
Laporta and sporting director Deco received the manager’s call, and believe it is more than a reasonable request. Now it’s time for them to explore the market and determine what Barcelona can afford.
How much can Barca spend?
It always comes down to this with Barcelona. Club sources — who, like all those cited here preferred not to be named so as to protect relationships — admit the only type of reinforcements they can explore right now are loans until the end of the season. This is expected to be the only type of deal their financial situation allows. Ideally, they will try to replicate a deal such as that which saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang join from Arsenal in 2022, when Barcelona only picked up the player’s wages.
Barcelona sources refuse to comment on what kind of figures might be involved, but admit it will not be a big expense. So far, it has been difficult to find market opportunities for the role they are looking for.
Gavi shone in this season’s El Clasico (Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Barca’s hierarchy is fully aware of how tough a task it will be to complete a new signing given La Liga’s salary criteria. This is why senior sources do not even dismiss the option of asking for a new bank guarantee if it might help the situation — as they did last summer to ensure the registration of all their summer signings to boost their wage limit and reach their target.
Right now, it seems likely that Barcelona will be looking for the kind of deal that tends to be done at the very end of the transfer window, when better market opportunities might present themselves. However, this is the opposite of what Xavi needs — an immediate and impactful addition to his already shallow squad rotation.
Who decides on signings?
It has to be a common decision among Laporta, Deco and Xavi. The manager identifies the roles he thinks the team is lacking according to sporting reasons, and then Laporta and Deco do the executive work.
Usually, what Xavi demands is not what Xavi gets. Romeu was the fourth player on Xavi’s list of preferred options to reinforce in defensive midfield in the summer, but Barcelona couldn’t afford anything better. At the same time, the coaching staff were not particularly attracted by the prospect of signing Joao Felix, but thanks to the footballer’s wish, Atletico Madrid’s lack of options, and the good relationship between Laporta, Deco and super agent Jorge Mendes, the Portuguese ended up at Barca.
Laporta and Deco at Joao Cancelo’s presentation in September (Adria Puig/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
It is a difficult mix of voices and opinions, where the president possesses a lot of power but, in the end, any signing also needs the green light from Xavi. With Joao Felix, as he had received calls from forwards Ansu Fati and Abde Ezzalzouli asking to leave, he decided to eventually sanction the signing.
What are the priority positions?
There is one only priority, and it is a new midfielder.
“In an ideal world we would like an aggressive midfielder who works hard for the team on and off the ball,” an executive Barca source told The Athletic earlier this week. This is what they picture as cover for Gavi, who will miss the rest of the season and the European Championship for Spain next summer.
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Laporta even went further and tried to compare Barca’s winter target to the loan signing of Edgar Davids that he himself completed during his first spell as president back in January 2004.
But experience has proved to Barcelona — and practically to every club in the world — that January transfer activity comes with its risks. They will also have the summer example of Romeu’s signing in mind. Signed as a short-term fix to compensate for the departure of Sergio Busquets, which is no easy task, he has since been deemed to be below the standards required.
What do we know about their targets?
It is a blurred picture for now. Sources said the sporting direction is still exploring profiles and there is not a clearly identified target just yet.
However, rumors and speculation in the Catalan media started days ago.
One of the reported names has been Fluminense and Brazil midfielder Andre. The 22-year-old is said to be valued at €30million by his club, but the excellent relationship between Barca sporting director Deco and the Brazilian side could help out in turning the deal into a loan, according to Diario Sport.
The names of Everton’s Amadou Onana and Royal Antwerp’s Arthur Vermeeren have also been mentioned in local media, but both operations are expected to be too costly.
Who could be on their way out?
“No one will leave the club.”
This was the message from Barca sources last week, when asked about potential departures, although at this point we all know that what’s being said around the club is usually far from what ends up happening.
Floating around the question were two specific names: Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski. Despite rumours of interest in Araujo from Bayern Munich, Barca senior executives insisted they have no intention to let the 24-year-old centre-back go — “not even with a mammoth offer”. Araujo signed a contract extension up to 2026 last season, when his release clause was set at €1billion.
On Lewandowski, reported doubts about his future have more to do with next summer, amid suggested interest from Saudi Arabian clubs. But on this subject, a Barca executive said: “If we are currently lacking a clinical edge in front of goal, why should we consider selling him?”
The club insist Lewandowski will stay, but that could just be a negotiation stance. Next summer the Polish striker will turn 36, and he will be a big talking point within Barca’s transfer activity.
But if we refocus on January, and despite the club’s claims stating no one will leave, it is worth keeping an eye on Romeu.
Romeu’s recent performances have seen him fall out of favour (Pedro Salado/Getty Images)
Yes, he was signed just last summer, the only player Barcelona paid money for (€4million), but he has dropped right down the pecking order in Xavi’s midfield.
Last Wednesday against Almeria, the manager could not count on three of his midfield starters, with Pedri and Gavi injured and Frenkie de Jong suspended. Xavi still preferred Ilkay Gundogan, Fermin Lopez and forgotten club captain Sergi Roberto ahead of Romeu. Despite promising early steps in pre-season, his form and self-confidence have suffered a painful decline.
Romeu, 32, was extremely loved at Girona, where he was their most important player last season, and in November the club’s sporting director Quique Carcel said they would love to have him back. After the Catalan derby in which Girona beat Barcelona two weeks ago, local station TV3 reported informal talks had started over a potential transfer.
There’s not been indication of further progress, and Barca sources still insist they don’t expect any player to leave next month. But given Xavi’s team selection, how Romeu has been struggling and how this could end up being a win-win deal for both ends, nothing can be fully dismissed.
(Top photo: Ion Alcoba/Quality Sport Images/Gledston Tavares/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
