Spanish giants Barcelona tackled the January window with one clear goal in mind; add further quality in the forward line at the Camp Nou.
This focus in the market was a chief remit for Xavi, who openly discussed his immediate squad goals upon taking up his new position on the touchline in Catalunya when he replaced Ronald Koeman.
Barcelona responded from a position of strength in January after Xavi and club chief Joan Laporte sat down and agreed to add quality to lead the line after Sergio Agüero was forced into early retirement in conjunction with a host of injuries as well as question marks surrounding a number of players.
As a result, Barça brought in a trio of forwards before the conclusion of the window after they secured deals for Wolves’ Adama Traoré, Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Manchester City starlet Ferran Torres.
#FCB ??
✅ La confianza de Xavi Hernández en Jordi Alba es absoluta, por lo que el técnico ha priorizado reforzar la delantera en este mercado invernal
✍️ @bonagermanhttps://t.co/4Xwj3HY7oq
— Diario SPORT (@sport) February 3, 2022
But the winter business priority has left Barcelona short in other positions across the team, namely at left-back, which has raised questions. Despite that, reports in Spanish outlet Sport from German Bona suggest Xavi holds unwavering faith in veteran Jordi Alba; the only current option on the left side of the defense.
With the only other true option in the position coming from 18-year-old La Masia graduate Álex Balde who is currently injured with no clearly-defined timetable for a return, it is certainly a risk for the club to not have targetted cover for the Spanish defender but speaks to the insistence of Xavi that the club was not good enough going forward before his return home.
What next for young Barcelona duo after January reinforcements?
Barcelona certainly can consider it a job well done after the trio of attacking reinforcements the club managed to secure during the January window, but the question now becomes how it will affect a handful of youngsters in the first team set up in the immediate future.
Both Ansu Fati and Ez Abde both remain bright young spots in the Barça team under Xavi, but it is presumed that both Torres and Traoré will be viewed as first-choice for the foreseeable future in the Catalan capital.
Despite Fati still being just 19, the Spanish wiz kid has been one of the most highly-touted youngsters across the continent for the better part of two years; will his development now be stunted because of acquisitions this month? Nobody knows, but if Xavi intends to focus on building for the future – as he seems to have done when the whole squad is surveyed – then Fati must surely remain a priority despite what the club managed to achieve in January.