Barcelona News and Analysis

It looks like Erling Haaland is about to be off the table for Barcelona in 2025

18Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga, Premier League

It looks like Erling Haaland is about to be off the table for Barcelona in 2025

Manchester City superstar striker Erling Haaland hasn't received as much fanfare this season with the Citizens falling further behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race, but he's actually on pace for his best goal-scoring numbers of the season. The clear top dog in Manchester with Rodri injured, Haaland has scored 12 goals in 11 Premier League matches this season, putting him on pace to potentially flirt with a historic 40-goal season. Haaland already holds the Premier League record for most single-season goals after smashing home 36 with 8 assists in Man City's treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. Although the Norwegian sensation's all-around numbers have slipped in recent seasons, his displays in 2022/23 and then prior to that with Borussia Dortmund show that his all-around ...

There is only one true dream transfer target for Barcelona

17Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

There is only one true dream transfer target for Barcelona

Barcelona already have the most fearsome attacking quartet in world football, as Hansi Flick has turned Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo into a multi-faceted machine capable of averaging well over three goals per game in any competition. Flick has brought Lewandowski back to his status as being world football's finest goal-scoring machine - sorry, Erling Haaland - and he has gotten much more out of Raphinha and Olmo than any manager who had ever coached either before. And Yamal? Well, he didn't really have to do anything with him, but it also feels like the teenage sensation has more freedom to be himself and pull the strings as a wide creator under the German manager. Despite the embarrassment of riches in the attack, Barcelona are still looking to make t...

Barcelona might have a clear path to another perfect fit at CB

16Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Barcelona might have a clear path to another perfect fit at CB

Barcelona came into the season knowing they had the best center back prospect in world football in Pau Cubarsi, who is effectively the defensive equivalent of Lamine Yamal in terms of his quality, readiness, and projected future. Next to Cubarsi, Barcelona had no shortage of options in Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo. All three are also legitimately among the best central defenders in the world. Kounde has been excelling on the right flank again, while Christensen and Araujo have been sidelined by injuries. In their steads, Barcelona have found an even better center back than any of them, Inigo Martinez. A veteran of La Liga, Martinez was a secret star - at least, hidden to those outside the Spanish footballing bubble - for iconic Basque sides Athletic Club an...

Deco is dousing the two biggest Barcelona striker transfer rumors with cold water

16Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Deco is dousing the two biggest Barcelona striker transfer rumors with cold water

Barcelona have the most electrifying attack in world football this season after Hansi Flick took the reigns from Xavi and made this show his own. The Blaugrana have four of the best attacking players in La Liga right now in Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski. With a commanding lead in the league after their 4-0 drubbing of Real Madrid in El Clasico, Barcelona have a lot of momentum in mid-November, even if their most recent match was a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad. Yamal is undoubtedly the star of the show, but Lewandowski has been leading the line excellently as Europe's top goal scorer, proving many people, including within his own fanbase, horribly wrong when they declared him "finished". Before the season started, a possible transfer for Manchester City s...

3 underrated right backs Barcelona can sign in summer 2025

15Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

3 underrated right backs Barcelona can sign in summer 2025

Barcelona have been the most exciting team to watch in European football this season under Hansi Flick, and despite losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad this past Sunday, the Blaugrana are a deserving first in La Liga after previously being blown out of last year's title race by Real Madrid. Although Barcelona have been led by a relentless attack that features the best front quartet in football - Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski - the defense has been quite solid with Pau Cubarsi and the underrated Inigo Martinez anchoring the back line. But if there's one position Barcelona can afford to add more talent, it is right back. Jules Kounde has been exceptional at the position, but he is a center back by trade and projects to switch back to central defense long-term. Al...

The biggest problem Hansi Flick has to fix after Barcelona’s 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad

14Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The biggest problem Hansi Flick has to fix after Barcelona’s 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad

Barcelona suffered their first truly poor result of the 2024/25 La Liga season thus far, falling 1-0 to Real Sociedad on Sunday night in the penultimate match before the November international fixtures. It was a truly bizarre performance from Barcelona in comparison to their displays in other matches this season, because they went from a team exploiting space on the counterattack to a plodding outfit that more closely resembled their struggling rivals Real Madrid. Juxtaposed to Real's own 4-0, Vinicius Junior-fueled romp of Osasuna - the only other team to beat Barcelona in the league this season - the Blaugrana's poor performance against La Real appeared to be that much more striking. There's no need for any panic in Barcelona, of course. They are still in the lead in La Liga hea...

The most difficult player for Barcelona to replace

13Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The most difficult player for Barcelona to replace

With 40 goals through their first 13 La Liga matches and 15 in 4 Champions League fixtures, Barcelona are averaging well over three goals per game to kick off the Hansi Flick era and are thus on pace to break some attacking records. Step aside MSN, because the quintet of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, and Pedri are leading the way for a Barcelona attack that is rapid-fire, multi-faceted, highly athletic, technical, and absolutely devastating on the counterattack. Yamal is the crown jewel of this Barcelona side as a 17-year-old who already has a serious case for being the world's best, especially since the entire attack floundered without him in a rare shutout defeat to Real Sociedad 1-0 this past Sunday. But as brilliant as Yamal is and as irreplaceable as ...

Barcelona have found another phenom to replace Lamine Yamal

13Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Barcelona have found another phenom to replace Lamine Yamal

Barcelona right winger Lamine Yamal just might be the best player in world football, because he was the biggest standout of the European Championships this past summer when Spain won the tournament and has started off the 2024/25 season on an absolute tear. Yamal is the best player on a Barcelona team loaded with attacking talent and in the midst of a historically great attacking season under new manager Hansi Flick. He has scored 5 goals with 7 assists in 11 starts thus far, averaging 2.2 key passes and 5.0 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game. Perhaps the best example of Yamal's value to Barcelona came this past weekend when the Blaugrana sputtered to a 1-0 loss against Real Sociedad, failing to win one-on-ones or produce much meaningful offense for the first time a...

Barcelona could have a world-class attacking signing in the bag

11Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

LaLiga

Barcelona could have a world-class attacking signing in the bag

Barcelona have the most electrifying attack in world football right now, as Hansi Flick has his side on a record-breaking pace, returning the Blaugrana to their status as the most entertaining team to watch in this sport. That's been the benchmark Barcelona have missed since the days of MSN, and, statistically speaking, Barcelona are off to a hotter start with the trio of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal. But even as Raphinha has broken out as a Ballon d'Or candidate this season under Flick, matching Lewandowski and Yamal in quality, the Blaugrana are eyeing an even bigger attacking signing than the bold summer 2024 gamble on RB Leipzig man Dani Olmo. With Lewandowski still going strong, Barcelona are pivoting away from Joan Laporta's original dream of signing Manche...

Barcelona are ready to play spoilers to Real Madrid for a target Los Blancos need much more

9Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

LaLiga

Barcelona are ready to play spoilers to Real Madrid for a target Los Blancos need much more

Barcelona have been getting the better of Real Madrid lately, with the most glaring example being another 4-0 El Clasico drubbing in which Los Blancos looked completely out of sorts in the second half. With the way Barcelona are playing right now in all competitions, the Blaugrana are clear favorites in La Liga, and after Eder Militao's season-ending injury, the Merengue back line looks like a disaster. Real Madrid will have to regroup in the winter window and finally bring in some established center back talents in order to avoid this La Liga title race becoming a lopsided one in Barca's favor. New manager Hansi Flick has the Blaugrana rolling, but judging by the latest ambitious transfer rumors, Flick and Co. aren't going to sit idly by and let Real Madrid get back on top. Ac...