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Barcelona makeover: Reviewing FC Barcelona's transfer activity

8th September, 2014
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Barcelona take on Juventus in the Champions League return round. (PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO)
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8th September, 2014
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It’s been a turbulent 12 months for Spanish giants FC Barcelona. After relinquishing the Copa Del Rey and La Liga to Atletico and Real Madrid respectively, there has been a huge shake-up of personnel at the four-time European champions.

After the controversial Neymar transfer saga, president Sandro Rosell stepped down and was replaced by Josep Maria Bartomeu, and the changes have been coming thick and fast ever since.

All too often last season the Catalans failed to deliver when the going got tough, and it was evident that the club needed a change in personnel. Tata Martino stepped down as Barca boss and was replaced by Barcelona legend Luis Enrique, who’s coaching CV includes coaching Barcelona’s B side for a number of years.

April saw the club sign Croatian wunderkind Alen Halilovic from Dynamo Zagreb. Widely regarded by many as Leo Messi’s successor, the similarities between the 18-year-old Croat and the four-time Ballon d’Or winner are uncanny.

The Catalans were able to sign the Croatian prodigy before the club got slapped with a two-season transfer ban. However, it turned out to be an eventful summer for La Blaugrana as a decision was made to ban the club from the signing players from January 2015, thus allowing the side to go for broke in the transfer market.

And go for broke they did.

Cesc Fabregas was shipped off to Chelsea in the blink of an eye and Croatian superstar Ivan Rakitic was signed from La Liga rivals Sevilla. Alexis Sanchez was sold to Arsenal, a decision which angered a number of Blaugrana fans, but the sale of the Chilean winger allowed the club to sign arguably the best striker on the planet in the shape of Uruguayan hitman Luis Suarez.

The controversial but prolific striker was signed from Liverpool after topping the Premier League scoring charts with 31 goals, despite missing the first six matches of the season through suspension.

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The Uruguayan was signed just weeks after he was banned from football for four months after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup – the third such incident of his career.

Suarez will be unable to play until the end of October, but expect big things from the former Liverpool man when he finally lines up for the Catalan giants.

The club would eventually sign German shot-stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach and Chilean international keeper Claudio Bravo to challenge him for the number one spot.

French defender Jeremy Mathieu was signed from Valencia along with Brazilian right back Douglas who was signed after the Catalans failed to secure the services of rampaging Colombian Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, who refused to be deployed as a right back.

Luis Enrique’s side also secured the services of former Arsenal captain and Belgian international centre back Thomas Vermaelen. Gerard Deulofeu and Barcelona B star Denis Saurez were both loaned to Sevilla and winger Cristian Tello was loaned to FC Porto before the transfer window slammed shut.

It will take time to deem Barcelona’s transfer window as a success, and with the club now unable to sign players until 2016, Barcelona’s current crop of new stars will be given considerable time to prove their worth.

With Dani Alves in decline and Xavi not very far away from retirement, potential replacements have already been signed in the shape of Ivan Rakitic and Douglas respectively.

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Expect Luis Suarez to be a hit too, the Uruguayan should be able to flourish under Luis Enrique. While some are skeptical that arguably the world’s best attacking trio of Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar will work, Luis Enrique’s strict disciplinary approach should help Barcelona’s South American attacking trident to become as deadly as it looks on paper.

Things are looking positive for the Catalans, the team is better balanced than the previous season and Luis Enrique’s appointment could prove to be the Catalan’s biggest master stroke since a certain Pep Guardiola took over from Frank Riijkaard in 2008.

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