FC Barcelona is in dire need of a winger to increase squad depth, even more so after starboy Lamine Yamal’s recent injury against Leganes. The January transfer window is closing in, and Barca should be looking out for an elite winger in the market to increase the team’s creativity.
The partner in crime with Lamine Yamal
Nico Williams currently a winger for Athletic Bilbao was offered a contract by Barca before but was turned down by him. The forward wanted to spend more time at Athletic with his brother but Barca and his Spanish teammate Lamine Yamal could change his mind this January so let’s analyze how he could be a good fit for Hansi Flick’s Barca.
Increasing the width
Current left-wingers available to Hansi Flick are Raphinha and Ferran Torres, both of whom are inverted wingers meaning they can’t play out wide and stretch the pitch to create spaces between the lines. Nico Williams can do exactly that as he did with Spain.
Balde can finally overlap/underlap with Nico
With Raphinha always inverting inside to join the attack Balde is left isolated on the left, forcing him to play both as a winger and a left-back. Nico Williams can offer Balde to either overlap or underlap according to the situation, a similar duo like Lamine and Kounde can be formed on the left.
Defensive Improvements in Flick’s system
Nico can also help Balde in defensive transitions as he would not have to go forward every time Barca has the ball. Tracking back would be easier for him which is extremely important with the high line that Hansi Flick Likes to play.
Rafael Leao
Rafael Leao has been an option for Barca’s left wing for a while now. He is currently under contract with AC Milan but if he makes up his mind to move to Barcelona, Flick could have an elite winger on his team.
Possession play
Rafael Leao is highly effective when it comes to possession and link-up play. His ability to play 1 2 with his teammates adds momentum to the game. His passing IQ is quite impressive when attacking which explains why he creates so much in the final third.
Switching Play
Surprisingly for a winger, Rafael loves to switch the play to the other side when wants to. The accuracy of his long passes may have room to improve but this can help Barca immensely as they won’t have to play through midfield to switch the play, especially against teams with low block defense when a quick switch of play is crucial to find spaces.
Defensive potential
Rafael Leao isn’t the most motivated winger when it comes to pressing and tracking back to help the defense. However, observing him closely makes you realize he is highly effective in pressing and winning the ball back when he has the ambition. Hansi Flick could change his attitude and put his pace to good use while pressing, enabling Barca to recover the ball quickly.
Ademola Lookman
The CAF Player Of The Year winner for 2024 had a very successful season with Atalanta winning the Europa League in style with a hattrick in the final and the success continues into this season. He continues to perform at the highest level, the game against Real Madrid in the UCL being a testimony to that.
Ball carrier and creator
Lookman not only runs at defenders and gets past them, but he also has the skill to receive the ball fairly deep and carry it into dangerous areas. Meaning apart from being a world-class outwide winger he can also play as an attacking midfielder. This can take pressure off Olmo and allow him to get much-needed rest.
Quick and direct
Lookman not only plays quickly through a counter but also when playing against low-block teams. This can be a solution for Barca’s lack of chance creation lately. He can also bring more goals to the team as he doesn’t hesitate to create space for himself and go for goal, with his goal-scoring form getting better every season.
The Ideal Candidate
Although all 3 of these wingers are world-class and can thrive under Hansi Flick, Ademola Lookman for me is the perfect Pick. He has an edge over the other two when it comes to form as he has bagged 16 G/A in 19 Games for Atlanta. He is also more economical for a financially struggling Barca. Rafael Leao has an insane release clause of âŹ175M, Nico Williams with âŹ58M while Lookman only has a price tag of âŹ40M on him which is an absolute steal for a player like him. Joan Laporta should not let him slip away to another club in the January transfer Market.