If the Saudis continue to fish at Barça, it might not be a tragedy: Gamper's hot notes

BarcelonaBarça's brilliant win over Cesc Fàbregas' Como in the fourth and final preseason match. Flick's were very sharp and effective in accumulating a crank against the second-biggest spending team in Italian football. The feeling is unbeatable ahead of the start of La Liga next weekend at Mallorca. Here are some quick notes.

Excellent in every way. The Gamper Stadium served as a clue that the center-back pairing that will start the competition will be Araujo and Cubarsí. We hope they mesh better than they did in Xavi's Barça throes or on the ill-fated European night in Milan. So far, against Como, they have been as excellent as Joan Garcia, who made his debut against the Culleras with a clean sheet and a fine display of his greatest skill: stopping balls. But the former player, who barring any setbacks will be registered in the coming days, also excelled with the ball at his feet, a field where he has plenty of room for improvement. So far, it's all good news for the goalkeeper from Sallent.

No way, huh? De Jong has emerged as the luxury broom for Flick's Barça and a sensational partner at the base for Pedri, the team's undisputed playmaker. The Dutchman and the Canary Islander are untouchable in the lineup everyone imagines for the season's official debut. On the other hand, the third leg of the midfield is a less clear-cut position: it's contested by Dani Olmo, Gavi, and Fermín. The former is the most polished; the latter, the most hard-working; and the third, the most prolific in terms of goalscoring figures. Against Como, Fermín scored twice and created a third. It's understandable that he's on the market, but right now he's the one contributing the most to the attacking midfield.

If Rashford wakes up... If we're going to continue releasing too much salary, it's better that Barça has no intention of sending the electric Fermín to the Premier League. This is the only thing missing after the surprising departure of Iñigo Martínez in Saudi Arabia. But what if the Ondarroa-born center-back's move is a clue to the next step in Lewandowski's twilight career? It's known that petrodollars have long tempted the Pole, who will turn 37 in a few days and is entering the final year of his contract. For now, he's resisted leaving the top flight, but given what a resource-rich attacking trio like Lamine Yamal, Rashford, and Raphinha can offer—with Ferran Torres' permission—perhaps his playing time is dwindling, and he'll have to think about it before the transfer window closes. Is it worth having such an expensive striker if he doesn't have to be an undisputed starter? Doubts.

A wound too deep. Before the match, Ter Stegen received more applause than whistles after addressing the issue with Laporta over the crisis associated first with the medical report on his surgery and then with his captaincy, which the club unilaterally revoked for 24 hours. Once the flag was restored to his armband, the German goalkeeper gave a speech he'd prepared at home. Kind words, resolutions to make amends, and best wishes for the new arrivals were combined with a rather drab stage presence, marked by long faces. A feeling of no return after these weeks with knives on both sides.