Hansi Flick delighted with Barcelona duo – may impact decision on transfer strategy

At the end of last season, it seemed like Barcelona’s number one priority for the summer transfer window was to be a holding midfielder. That clearly switched to first Nico Williams, and now the arrival of Dani Olmo seems more likely, as things stand, but they have yet to address the midfield area.

That is in large part down to the fact that it is no longer a priority for the Blaugrana this summer. Matteo Moretto has explained that Barcelona will look at their options in midfield after their preseason tour to the USA has finished and assess whether they need to strengthen, and how to do so.

Vitor Roque has again rejected an approach from Al Hilal in the last 24/48 hours. @FabrizioRomano

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) August 4, 2024

One factor that could be influential in the matter is the performances on that tour. Against both Real Madrid and Manchester City, 17-year-old Marc Bernal and 20-year-old Marc Casado have started both matches, and manager Hansi Flick has been delighted with their efforts so far. If they can impress Flick sufficiently, then Barcelona may decide against trying to make a signing in the area.

Given it was patent last season that it was the largest issue in Barcelona’s team last season, it would be a huge boost if they could unearth another La Masia gem to fill that need. Equally, it is a massive ask for Casado or Bernal to jump into that role from Spain’s third tier. In Bernal’s case, last year was his first taste of senior football of any sort. If Flick were to rely on them, it would likely mean dropping one of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Ilkay Gundogan or Gavi when the latter returns to fitness.

The post Hansi Flick delighted with Barcelona duo – may impact decision on transfer strategy appeared first on Football España.