Barça: Less make-up, more signings

The days are passing, pre-season is getting closer and there’s an absence of signings at Barcelona, with the exception of bringing Gerard Deulofeu back to the club. Marco Verratti, Hector Bellerin and Dani Ceballos seem a long way from Camp Nou and there’s growing uncertainty with respect to new arrivals for the project led by Ernesto Valverde. 

What the Blaugrana have done is modify other aspects of the club. And it’s curious that they now have a general manager and a sporting director, two roles which don’t always coincide within the same organisation. Only when it’s of interest to take away a certain amount of responsibility. The newly created general manager role is the make-up which it’s hoped will hide the defects. 

Until now, sporting director Robert Fernandez was in charge of the signings at Barça. Now, suddenly, just a week before pre-season begins, president Josep Maria Bartomeu has decided to give the most power to Pep Segura, giving him a role ahead of Robert, who no longer has the final word. The timing is surprising, especially given it was Robert who signed Valverde. 

What must Valverde think now his biggest backer is no longer in charge? Remember what happened with Barça’s basketball team a few months ago, when they signed Nacho Rodriguez and they positioned him above Rodrigo de la Fuente, who now has a secondary role. That also happened at a strange time, with around two months to go until the season started. And with the basketball side there have been a lot of movements in the offices, but only a new coach and one new signing has arrived. 

Time will tell if the changes prove successful, but the reality right now is that the fans need signings to excite them. At least Lionel Messi is staying put.