Getty New Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has discussed the possibility of the Catalan giants signing a new No. 9 in the January transfer window.
The Dutchman was asked in his pre-match press conference ahead of Barca’s Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday if the club would be dipping into the transfer market in January.
Everybody knows my position about this and the two positions we’re missing but it all depends on the economic situation of the club in January, so we have to wait. I don’t want to force it because knowing the situation I don’t want to push. If it’s not possible then we work with what we’ve got. That’s the situation.
Koeman said in the summer he wanted to bring in a new center-back and a No. 9 and clearly has not changed his mind since then. The club is short of options in defense currently with Ronald Araujo out injured and Samuel Umtiti not back to full fitness.
Meanwhile, Barca allowed striker Luis Suarez to leave for Atletico Madrid during the summer but failed to bring in a replacement for the Uruguay international.
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Barca Lacking Goals
There’s no doubt that goals have been a problem for Barca this season. Captain Lionel Messi has not scored from open play yet, while Antoine Griezmann only opened his account at the weekend against Alaves.
Koeman also explained in his press conference that he feels his team are creating enough chances but need to be more clinical in front of goal if they are to improve their recent results.
Meanwhile, Suarez has had no such problems since he left Barcelona. The 33-year-old has netted four La Liga goals in five appearances for Diego Simeone’s men so far in 2020-21.
Nunez or Depay?
Barcelona continues to be linked with several attackers. Benfica striker Darwin Nunez has recently emerged as a possible option after some dazzling performances for the Portuguese side in the league and in Europe.
Lyon captain Memphis Depay is another possibility and knows Koeman well from their time together with the Netherlands national team. The Barca boss told AD in October that he hoped Barca would try to land Depay again in January.
Yet the club’s financial situation will dictate whether they will be able to sign more players in January. Interim president Carlos Tusquets spoke about the possibility of signings on Monday, as reported by the club’s official website.
I feel we should only make a move if a player can come at zero cost. Or if a player is sold in the transfer window, then we could buy. But all these decisions can be reversed by the next presidency. If the new Board wants to go back on everything we decided, then they are free to do so.
It could be that Barcelona and Koeman may have to make do with what they have until the end of the campaign. The season could bring about plenty of change with a new president set to arrive, while Barca may also be searching for a replacement for Lionel Messi if he does not agree to extend his contract which expires next summer.
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