What should Barcelona do to return to supremacy?

The 2023/24 season has been full of intrigue and excitement for many top clubs, but it is one of those seasons Barcelona fans will be keen to forget.

After winning the La Liga title last season by ten points and a healthy +50 goal difference, the Catalan club were expected to begin another period of La Liga and European dominance. 

But with few days left before the season officially slams shut, they find themselves sitting in second place in La Liga, 14 points behind their fierce rivals Real Madrid. 

They also failed to win any trophies this season, losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarterfinal and Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey. 

Not since the disastrous 2019/20 season has Barca finished a season without a trophy. The Blaugrana still won a trophy even during the unfortunate Ronald Koeman era. 

But this season, they seem to have fallen to new lows, with a club like Girona beating them home and away and competing for a top-two finish.

However, Barca's wheels did not start to fall off just this season. A closer look at Xavi’s side shows that they have steadily declined since the 2018/19 season when they won the title by 87 points. They have played five seasons since then and have finished with less than 87 points in all but one of those seasons–last season, when they won 88 points.

So it's safe to say that this season is not an exception but the rule since 2018. Last season was the exception, as Barca won the title, thanks to Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid not being prepared. 

But this season, Real Madrid, in particular, has stepped up and left Barca sprawling for dust. Los Blancos have been dominant from day one, and it is down to their investment in the summer. 

Carlo Ancelotti’s men splashed the cash to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, and the youngster is leading their charge towards a treble, with the league title and Spanish Super Cup titles already in the bag and set to be followed by the UEFA Champions League title if Madrid beats Borussia Dortmund in the final net month.

The club remains a big club, though, and despite their failings this season, Barcelona tickets have remained valuable, 

However, the club and Xavi, in particular, will be wondering how his side can compete with Real Madrid. 

The Barca boss recently landed himself in hot water after complaining that the club cannot compete financially with the big boys. Despite promising to remain as boss after making a U-turn on his earlier announced departure, the often quiet Barca boss couldn’t hide his frustration at the lack of transfer funds and patience at the club. But you can’t blame the man.

Finanancial Restrictions

It's no secret that the reason Barca has gradually become ordinary is because they are in a financial mess. 

It is clear they cannot compete financially with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid after La Liga has placed them on a €204m spending cap. 

The Catalan club can only use a fraction of this sum in transfers unless they can sell players.

They have been put in an impossible situation, and only clear thinking, planning and leadership can bring them out of the woods.

But how exactly can they do this? What is the way forward for Barcelona? How can they compete domestically with the Real Marid, and the oil-rich Manchester Cities, and Paris Saint-Germains of Europe?

In this article, we examine four things Barca can do to regain its status as a La Liga and European powerhouse.

Trust or Sack Xavi Now

One of the first things Barca has to do to become a serious La Liga team again is to take a firm stand on the future of their current manager, Xavi Hernandez.

Since December, there has been much speculation on Xavi's future, causing an imbalance in the dressing room. The Barca boss initially announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season this January. But after discussions with the club, he changed his mind, choosing to leave when his contract expires in 2026.

However, a few weeks after the club announced that Xavi was staying, there are new reports that they are looking to sack him due to his comments in the media.

This constant uncertainty around the 44-year-old’s future is helping no one, and the earlier it is sorted, the better.

Xavi is a great coach, and to be fair to him, he has overachieved with the current squad. So, if they plan to stick with him, the club has to make it clear to the players and fans that they trust Xavi and are planning for the future with him.

However, if he and the club are moving in different directions regarding their plans for the future, it is best to release him before the end of May. This will allow the club to start looking for a manager immediately. Roberto De Zerbi, Thiago Motta, Luis Enrique, Hansi Flick and Rafael Marquez are possible names that can replace Xavi.

Whoever Barca chooses from the above list, including retaining Xavi, will be great. But they have to do so on time.

Need for Patience

Signing a good manager is great, but giving the manager time is even better. Barca must realise that no matter who they hire, they must give him time to rebuild the team or at least gain momentum.

Today’s Barca rebuild is the most extensive rebuild in recent years. To be fair, today’s team is unlike the old one, which had star names like Thierry Henry, Xavi, Andrea Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, and Samuel Eto. So, even if they rehire Pep Guardiola or Luis Enrique, they need patience.

They need time to gain an identity, gel as a team, and grow and become a force again. Look at Arsenal, for example. They were terrible under Arteta for the first couple of years. But the club stuck with him, and now he is repaying their faith. Following Arsenal’s model will help Barca come back to the top.

Sell Dead Wood

Barca must face the fact that many of its current players need to go. Unless it can get a coach who will manage this current crop of players properly, the Catalan club will have to do a lot of shipping out this summer.

Ferran Torres, Oriol Romeu, João Félix, and Marcos Alonso look lost in this current Barca side. The club have to let these players go now, with the money raised from their departures invested in other areas of the squad.

Players like Ansu Fati could also be sold for a reasonable sum, while Eric Garcia, though impressive this season at Girona, can fetch the club some money if he is placed on the market. 

Meanwhile, buying Joao Cancelo permanently may not be the best business decision unless the club can renegotiate his salary and invest the money in other players. 

There will also be no harm in cutting their losses on Victor Roque this summer, as the youngster can still command a reasonable transfer fee. Rather than rot on the bench, Barca can cash in on him and buy the players they most need.

While it could be hard to pinpoint the players the club needs to sell from the outside, it is clear they need to reset, shift out dead wood and focus on bringing new players.

Fix the Major Deficiencies

Given their financial restraints, any business Barcelona does this season will have to be right on the money.

The Catalan club has no time or space for lavish spending. Whoever they sign has to be a player they need most. Names like Darwin Nunez, Nico Williams, Luis Diaz, Bernardo Silva, Dani Olmo, Kaoru Mitoma, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia are all exciting. However, the club has to ask if they can’t do without these players.

Their greatest need this summer is to sign an extra defender, striker and defensive midfielder. So links with Martin Zubimendi and Amadou Onana are welcome, and the club should do all they can to get one of these players. 

Nice’s Khéphren Thuram, who has blossomed into one of the best defensive midfielders in Ligue 1, is another solid option for Xavi’s side. But Joshua Kimmich, another name on the radar, may be considered past his prime and unsuitable for Barca’s future.

Getting one or two of Onana, Thuram or Zubimendi will solidify Barca's midfield, which already has top players like Ilkay Gundogan, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi, and Sergi Roberto. 

That will free up Andreas Christensen to support the defence, so even though the club cannot add to its defensive ranks, it can manage, especially if they keep Eric Garcia beyond this summer.

If either Victor Roque or Ferran Torres leaves this summer, an extra striker to support Roberto Lewandowski is a priority. Should neither player leave, the club must be patient with them and find a system that can maximise their enormous talents.

Press Reset and Trust the Process

Overall, Barca needs to understand that they are in a rebuilding phase. The club should press the reset button, starting with the coach and working down to the players they hope to sell and bring in.

From thereon, it is about patience and waiting for the right opportunity to invest heavily in the squad again. 

This approach will save them from the pressure of wanting to hurridly buy players they don't have the money for, leading to mismanagement of funds as the club did under Josep Bartomoeu.