Barcelona’s Summer Squad Reinforcements Unraveling Amid Departures
Barcelona’s summer squad reinforcements are unraveling as the club faces financial constraints and player departures. Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly set to return to Manchester City, while Vitor Roque is close to a loan move to Real Betis. These exits highlight the makeshift nature of Barcelona’s squad building last summer, which failed to address the loss of veteran leaders Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Despite the departures, Barcelona has secured the arrival of Dani Olmo from Leipzig, but his registration is pending due to financial requirements. Coach Hansi Flick has relied heavily on La Masia academy products, giving debuts to Gerard Martín and Marc Bernal in the season opener.
Barcelona’s next test comes on Saturday against Athletic Bilbao, led by former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde. Athletic will be seeking its first victory at Barcelona since 2001-2002, while Barcelona aims to continue its winning start under Flick.