New Barcelona manager Hansi Flick wants the club to go shopping in the summer transfer window, as he believes the squad is not good enough to fight on all fronts. The German manager has reportedly asked the Blaugrana to add a backup goalkeeper in the coming months, having already requested a new pivot, full-back, and left-winger.
After winning the La Liga title under Xavi in the 2022-23 season, Barcelona lost their bearings in 2023-24. They failed to keep up with Real Madrid in the domestic title race and crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarter-final stage. The Blaugrana also suffered a quarter-final exit in the Copa del Rey and lost the Supercopa de Espana title to Real Madrid.
Initially, Xavi announced his departure at the end of the 2023-24 season, but Barca President Joan Laporta convinced him to overturn his decision. However, just weeks after announcing Xavi’s continuance, Barcelona sacked the manager, with reports claiming that Laporta did not appreciate how candid he was during a press conference.
Hansi Flick Wants Barcelona To Sign A Host Of Players, Including A Goalkeeper
Former Bayern Munich manager Flick has since replaced Xavi at the helm. And just like his predecessor, he has communicated that the current squad is not good enough to fight for trophies. The German manager, who won the Treble with Bayern in 2020, had already asked the club for a midfielder, full-back, and a left-winger. According to Mundo Deportivo, he has now requested the club to sign a competent second-choice goalkeeper.
Barcelona have Inaki Pena as their second-choice goalkeeper, but Flick does not have enough faith in the Spaniard. He believes a good backup goalkeeper is required not only to cover for the first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen but also to push the German to do better.
Flick, however, is aware that he may not get a new goalkeeper in the summer window, as Barcelona will prioritize bolstering other areas of the pitch.
It is to be noted that Barcelona had two excellent goalkeepers — Claudio Bravo and Ter Stegen — the last time they won the UEFA Champions League and the Treble in 2015. Flick is likely looking to replicate the conditions to bring European glory back to Catalonia.
