PBP: FC Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao | J31 - La Liga 19/20 | 23 June 2020 [R]

Lacosta · Jun 24, 2020

celito said: ↑

Vidal with that dumb point blank header back instead of to the goal. I want to punch that mohawk off his head.
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I have that feeling very often too. I don't understand how Barcelona fans likes his game. He needs to go back to play for his natural home team.

Lacosta · Jun 24, 2020

inswinger said: ↑

This is the only potential silver lining of this Arthur-for-Pjanic swap deal. Maybe it clears the path for Puig to step into a more regular role.
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Calciomercato , SkySport and Mundo Deportivo are announcing today that Arthur has finally accepted the move to Juventus. The price is 80 m. ,but Juve are including M.Pjanic in the swap (50m) which means Barcelona will get back just 30 m. Juventus are giving him 5.5 m. per year, which is 3 times more than what he gets in Barcelona. The deal will be signed in the next few days, before June 30/20.

I can see very solid midfield line next season - Puig, F D J, Pjanic

Lacosta · Jun 24, 2020

Gilmango said: ↑

That's a nice way to look at it. More opportunities for Puig and other youngsters.

It certainly feels stupid to get 7 years older at a position where we already have 3 other important players on the wrong side of 30 (Busquets, Vidal, Rakitic). However, I fear that a decision has been made that Arthur, as good as he is in possession both on the ball and passing, does not have enough of the line-breaking ability (neither the genius forward passes, the take ons, nor enough of the outside shooting - a skill he has but we rarely witness). Nor does he have the defensive tenacity in the high press of someone like Vidal (very few do), plus there have been injuries and fitness concerns (rarely goes 90 minutes), and he doesn't project as a Busquets replacement. So ultimately the new Xavi is not Arthur but might be Puig? And Pjanic is maybe better thought of as a younger Rakitic or younger Vidal; both of them are on contracts which expire June 2021, and at least one (or both) will likely be moved when the season ends.

Beyond de Jong, Busquets, Puig, Pjanic if the swap is made, Barca also has Trincao coming in the new season and supposedly project him more as an attacking mid than a forward (which is good when M-S-G, Fati, and Braithwaite are already here, and Dembele and Coutinho are also still on the books and hard to move, so not much room at forward for Trincao). Other midfielders are Collado and Monchu with Barca B and now making each 23 man squad, and Alena out on loan, and Roberto when not at RB. We also still own other loaned out players who can play midfield in addition to defense: Oriol Busquets - DM, Todibo - mostly CB but also DM, Cucurella and Miranda - both LBs who can also play LW or left attacking mid

But that's me looking at the bright side. The sadder view is that Arthur has the rare skill set to succeed as a Barca midfielder, but is being sacrificed in a desperate bid to balance our books. And by balance our books it is not like they really balance at all, rather we pretend that they do in a FIFA sactioned manner.

So Juve pays us 75M for Arthur (just guessing the number), in turn we pay them 60M for Pjanic (again just guessing for purposes of this example). Barca immediately books 75M in revenue before closing its books June 30th, and this allows FCB to "balance its books". Now you might think that Barca could only book 15M (the difference between 75M for Arthur less 60M for Pjanic), but no, they book the entire 75M for Arthur, for Pjanic they are allowed the amortize his 60M over the life of his contract (which gets both increased and extended out 4 or 5 years, so he will be impossible to move in a couple years), so if he is extended out to 2024 they only take a 15M hit, so their net is 60M plus (but they then record 15M hits for the next 3 years into the future). Here's the funny thing, Juve gets to do the same thing, and with Arthur being younger they'll amortize his transfer costs out even longer, probably extend his contract out to at least 2025.

And that, sadly, is why this deal is likely going to be done. Quoting:

Both players would move in separate deals, to allow the clubs to include the incoming fee in this season's accounts, thus balancing their books following a tough time financially due to the coronavirus pandemic. The outgoing fees would be amortised over the length of the players' contracts.

Barca's need to bring in cash before the end of the month is particularly high. ESPN revealed in May the Catalan club needed to pocket €70m before June 30 based on a revenue plan drawn up at the start of the season which banked on receiving €124m in player sales.
SOURCE: https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-...ose-to-arthurpjanic-transfer-exchange-sources
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Yes. This swap is more to balance the books. Barcelona needs exactly 70 mil. to do it. Juve has estimated Arthur's price at 80 m. but they are including M.Pjanic (50m.) which means Barcelona will get just 30 m. in cash and that is not enough to balance the books till June 30/2020.

There is no doubt in my mind that Rakitic and Vidal will be gone after this season. Puig for sure will step in as a CM. Frenkie will be the starter at his natural position - DM and Trincao will take over as an attacking midfielder. He and Alex Collado are right wingers, but both of them can play as a AM as well.

It may sound provocative, but I wish Barcelona finish second in La Liga, so this dumb coach can get sacked. I really hope Barcelona can bring in Xavi or Koemann so they start getting rid of our aged veterans and start playing regularly youngsters like Araujo, Collado, Puig, Pedri and A.Fati.

Ozora · Jun 24, 2020

If RM manages to win Liga, it will haunt me for year because Setien didnt use Fati and Puig against Sevilla. Damn, 2 poitn lost.

Ozora · Jun 24, 2020

Lacosta said: ↑

Yes. This swap is more to balance the books. Barcelona needs exactly 70 mil. to do it. Juve has estimated Arthur's price at 80 m. but they are including M.Pjanic (50m.) which means Barcelona will get just 30 m. in cash and that is not enough to balance the books till June 30/2020.

There is no doubt in my mind that Rakitic and Vidal will be gone after this season. Puig for sure will step in as a CM. Frenkie will be the starter at his natural position - DM and Trincao will take over as an attacking midfielder. He and Alex Collado are right wingers, but both of them can play as a AM as well.

It may sound provocative, but I wish Barcelona finish second in La Liga, so this dumb coach can get sacked. I really hope Barcelona can bring in Xavi or Koemann so they start getting rid of our aged veterans and start playing regularly youngsters like Araujo, Collado, Puig, Pedri and A.Fati.
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I think even if we win Liga, Setien would likely to go.

Koeman said he will think about Barca after 2020 Euro but since it moved to 2021, everything is possible. Xavi, otherwise, i think he probably does not want to return yet. Too many of his old teammates are there. It is hard to bench or get rid of them properly.

Busquest could play but next season he should be second choice after De Jong. Puig can be either AM or CM. Pjanic, well, i prefer keeping Arthur though. Then you have youngsters like Pedri, Collado, Trincao... Next season would be rebuild phase.

Danko · Jun 24, 2020

The difference when Puig and Fati came on was... STARK. These guys played with purpose and you could feel the energy watching the team. Please... these two guys should start every game if this coach knows what he's doing.

Ozora · Jun 24, 2020

Danko said: ↑

The difference when Puig and Fati came on was... STARK. These guys played with purpose and you could feel the energy watching the team. Please... these two guys should start every game if this coach knows what he's doing.
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Messi also far more energetic since Puig came on. He trusts the youngster.