Bartomeu left the Ciutat Esportiva offices at 12:30 a.m. last Monday. He was accompanied by Óscar Grau, CEO of the club. At the same time, Iván de la Peña, representative of Eric García, was leaving … They all did so disappointed, because they failed to put the icing on the cake of planning. Although Jean Clair Todibo left for Benfica, the demands of City (he requested 10 million euros and 10 million more in variables for a player who ends his contract in June 2021) and Samuel Umtiti's refusal to leave Barça frustrated the signing of the central defender . The Memphis Depay one also blew up. The inexplicable Dembélé castled.
But Barça has decided to return to the market in just three months, when the transfer window opens again. He is aware that he will have to survive with three centrals (Piqué, Araujo and Lenglet) these 12 weeks and pray that there are no injuries. He is also short of forwards who set defenders. Messi has already shown in the first two games that he can no longer hold on in the area and that his tendency is to drop a few meters to accompany the plays. Koeman knows that he has an arrival, but no presence, in the area. Depay, much more used to moving his back to goal than many have advertised, did give a somewhat different profile to what he had. The Barça, then, will return to the market in winter. That, if Bartomeu is still in office. If it should not be decided by a manager or the 41st president in the club's history …