FC Barcelona had a successful 2017-18 season as they went on to win the domestic double and will be looking to kick start their new season with a title on Sunday when they lock horns with their Andalusian rivals.
The Blaugrana had a productive transfer season as they signed some new names and offloaded some players who weren’t fitting into Ernesto Valverde’s plans. The Catalan club has brought in seven players to date, three of them are loan returnees.
We now take a look at 3 key signings made by FC Barcelona who will play a vital role in Sunday’s all important Super Cup tie against Sevilla.
1. Clément Lenglet
The 23 year old French center-back started playing for Ligue 2 side Nancy in 2013, and made 34 appearances in the 2015-16 season when his side won the second division title and got promoted to Ligue 1. On 4 January 2017, Lenglet moved to Spanish side Sevilla.
He made 73 appearances for the Andalusian club, and scored 4 goals. He was signed by FC Barcelona on 12 July 2018 when they triggered his €35 million release clause.
Lenglet is known for his tackling, concentration and ability to play short passes, this makes him a perfect fit for Barcelona. The French center-back featured in all of Barcelona’s pre-season friendlies, and is expected to be a part of the defensive line-up more often than not this season.
Lenglet is expected to start in the Super Cup match against Sevilla, alongside Pique, Semedo and Alba because he was not a part of the World Cup winning French squad, and his compatriot Samuel Umtiti just might be given another week of rest due to his month long adventure in Russia.
2. Arthur Melo
Arthur made his debut for the senior side of Grêmio in 2015, and at the age of 18, under first team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. He made 70 appearances for the Brazilian club and found the net 6 times.
The 21 year old midfielder signed a six year contract with FC Barcelona in March 2018, as the Catalan club reached an agreement with Grêmio for an initial transfer fee of €31 million plus €9 million in added variables.
Arthur attracted Barcelona’s attention with his versatility in the midfield area as he usually plays in the central midfield position, but can also play as a central defensive midfielder or as an attacking midfielder. His versatile playing style will enable Valverde deploy him in the midfield according to the ongoing scenario of a game.
He featured in all 3 of Barcelona’s pre-season games, and also scored a goal in the first game against Tottenham. He is expected to feature in the Spanish Super Cup tie in a traditional 4-3-3 formation, either as a LCM or RCM.
3. Malcom
Malcom moved from his boyhood club Corinthians to French club Bordeaux in 2016, there he made a total of 96 appearances, and scored 23 goals over a period of two and a half years.
The 21-year-old winger was signed by FC Barcelona in a very controversial manner, as only a day before he was approached by the Catalan club, he was close to signing for Serie A side AS Roma. The Brazilian was signed by Barcelona for a transfer fee of €41 million plus an additional €1 million in bonuses.
Malcom is well known for his ability to take long shots, set-pieces, passing and dribbling. He also has the ability to hold onto the ball and wait for his teammates to arrive in order to create goal-scoring opportunities. His presence at Barcelona will strengthen their already existing attacking prowess.
In the Super Cup match against Sevilla, Malcom is expected to form an attacking triumvirate with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.