With just a few weeks remaining until the season comes to an end, FC Barcelona have already kickstarted their preparation for the campaign ahead.
While the summer transfer market won’t open until the start of July, the Catalans have already made a couple of moves, having agreed deals to sign Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie.
Both the players are set to arrive at Camp Nou on a free transfer. Although official confirmation is still pending, the two players have agreed personal terms with the Catalans.
A recent report from Diario AS suggests there is much optimism in the Barça camp over the arrival of both Kessie and Christensen, even though the thoughts are not shared by the fans and experts alike.
Christensen, for one, has struggled with injuries during his time at Chelsea while there are concerns about his lack of physical profile.
The Dane is being considered as a potential replacement for Clement Lenglet. He is expected to compete with Eric Garcia for a place in the starting eleven, and the two could emerge as the potential replacement for the ageing Gerard Pique.
Although Christensen is far from being Chelsea’s main defender, the Dane has shown tremendous potential at Stamford Bridge. His technical ability and game-reading qualities could go a long way in helping Barcelona replace Pique in the years to come.
Meanwhile, there are concerns over Kessie’s style of play and whether it suits Xavi’s tactical setup. He is considered more of a direct player than a technically astute midfielder, which could make things difficult for him to settle into Camp Nou.
At the same time, Kessi is regarded as one of the best midfielders in Serie A. During his time at Milan, the Ivorian has established himself as a reliable, and quite versatile central midfielder, who is known for his peculiar knack for scoring goals.
At Barcelona, Kessie could serve as a midfield partner for Pedri, providing Frenkie de Jong eventually occupies Busquets’ number six role in the coming years.
However, the Milan superstar is equally capable of operating as a holding midfielder. His versatility could prove to be invaluable for Xavi Hernandez as he looks to build the foundation for a future Barcelona setup that will hope to dominate Spain and Europe.
