Rarely has a summer transfer window been so important for a club, but the task facing Barcelona in the following months certainly falls into that bracket. The La Liga champions were handed a 14-month transfer ban in April by FIFA, for breaking rules on signing international players under the age of 18. Barcelona contested the decision and consequently the ban has been suspended till January, pending an appeal. It means the club has the forthcoming summer transfer window to strengthen their squad, before being banned from activity in the next two. Captain Carles Puyol has already announced that he will be departing, as has goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Add to that the fact that Dani Alves, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Javier Mascherano will all be over 30-years-old come July, and it is clear that investment is needed. There is talk of a huge squad overhaul at the Catalan club, the like of which occurred under Pep Guardiola in 2008. That summer clear-out saw the sales of Ronaldinho and Deco, while a year later Samuel Etoo was also sold. Speculation is growing around the future of Alves and Cesc Fabregas is mooted to be considering a return to the Premier League, after receiving criticism from fans at Camp Nou. Even manager Tata Martino is a doubt to be in charge next season, despite the club still being in with a chance of retaining their La Liga crown. With their transfer ban looming and an ageing squad, this summer represents one of the biggest in Barcas history. The time to spend is now.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
