A 'signing' that could liven up the final days of the transfer market

In case there were still any doubts, Hansi Flick's Barça is pure rock and roll. This is demonstrated by the offensive recital he offered yesterday in Seoul in the second match of the Asian tour. No one will be able to stop Barça, not even Xabi Alonso's new Real Madrid, from once again becoming by far the most striking team in Spanish football. His trademark boldness will once again provide a veteran striker like Lewandowski with the opportunity to put up big numbers, just as it will make it quite difficult for Joan Garcia to finish his first La Liga title as a Barça player with the best goals conceded ratio. This is what happens when you defend to the limit and, as happened a few months ago against Inter, when you risk conceding seven goals in a Champions League semi-final.

To mitigate that risk, Flick is adding a very interesting player this year. Without him, Xavi Hernández would have hardly won the 22-23 La Liga title. We're talking about Andreas Christensen, a center back who knows his trade and has fully recovered from the physical problems that kept him out last season. The Dane, who is not yet thirty, is a stealth signing. He wants to see out the remaining year of his contract, but he could become a key player in the final days of the transfer market. If he sparks the interest of a club willing to pay a transfer fee for him, he will fill Barça's coffers and consolidate the continuity of an Araujo who has fewer resources than him to defend with the vertigo that Flick proposes. On the other hand, if the German coach believes him, he will automatically reopen the door to selling the Uruguayan, which would be much more profitable in terms of fair playMicrowave popcorn: Everyone knows there are too many center backs in the squad.