Barca On Verge To Add Raphinha, Dembele To Attacking Threats

Barcelona are one of the busiest clubs in the ongoing transfer window as they are massively reconstructing towards challenging again in Europe and domestically in Spain with the addition of Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele.

It remains delicately poised what the outcome of the two similar players would mean for Barcelona given their dire financial status given they had to sell some club assets for years to obtain a boost in the transfer market but they are recruiting and players are willing to come.

At the start of the transfer window, the main objective for Xavi Hernandez's side was to sell Frenkie De Jong to Manchester United in a whopping 75 million euros offer which could help them chase some other targets while Robert Lewandowski was the main target for them.

Bayern Munich is not a selling club -- much less selling their top star -- Lewandowski.

Although the Polish has one more year on his contract and he had reiterated several times that he wants to leave but the German side have much say given his contract is still very much active.

Dembele has been playing hard balls in his contract extension but according to reports from transfer experts, he is currently in Barcelona to sign a new deal.

Another report also indicated that Barca has made headways with Leeds United to sign Raphinha in a region of 75 million euros.

Given Barca president Joan Laporta's statement during Andreas Christensen's presentation, the club will need to sell before making any transfer.

This means either the club have activated another lever of sales or they have been able to sell some players -- Trincao to Sporting, Clement Lenglet to Tottenham, Umtiti or even Martin Braithwaite.

Too Many Attacking Players

In recent years, Barcelona have not been much of a buying club especially attacking-wise given the presence of Lionel Messi -- who constitutes three players himself.

The diminutive Argentine can assist, score and hold possession which provides Barca with the need clear-head to focus on other areas of recruitment.

Since his departure in 2021, Barcelona now need a player who can replace him (which is a very big shoe to fill) or have players who could split his roles, hence, the massive recruitment.

Barcelona already have Ansu Fati (the suggested Messi's successor, even inheriting his No. 10 jersey), Memphis Depay, Braithwaite, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. 

The addition of Dembele and Raphinha could be a contingent plan given Dembele's medical history.

But that plan could boomerang -- Dembele played the remaining part of the 2021-22 season in full flare providing 13 assists and scoring 3 goals.

If he can keep up that tempo, and he can, Raphinha would have to take up a second fiddle role or only come in as a cover in case of a big match.

But some Barca fans could argue, "Dembele uses both feet -- he can be deployed on the left flank", then where would Ansu Fati, Depay play?

Are they going to take up the second fiddle role?

Or if Barcelona end up signing Lewandowski, and Aubameyang accepts second fiddle, that means at some point Ansu Fati might be relegated to third fiddle while Depay would have to leave, given Braithwaite has already been asked to leave.

So as much as it is good to recruit a lot of players to give your team a lot of depth, it can risky to sign too many stars without guarantee of playing minutes.