In difficulty in La Liga after a promising start this season, Barça is desperate to turn things around. Hansi Flick, the Blaugranas coach, is well aware that the balance of his team requires reinforcement in midfield. He would have set his sights on a player with an experienced profile, capable of providing stability and leadership.
This player is none other than N’Golo Kanté. At 32, the former French world champion, now playing in Saudi Arabia under the colors of Al-Ittihad, captivated Flick’s attention. The German technician, who knows the importance of a solid defensive midfielder to structure his game, saw in Kanté the ideal candidate to densify the heart of Barça’s game.
Kanté or Goretzka: Flick had an ambitious plan
According to the Catalan daily Sport, Flick had two priorities in mind to strengthen his squad: his former protégé at Bayern Munich, Leon Goretzka, and N’Golo Kanté. These two players embody both the solidity and the experience necessary to establish themselves in a Barça in search of consistency.
But the German coach quickly saw his ambitions thwarted. Financial fair play, which limits Barça’s room for maneuver, has put a brake on recruitment projects. Due to its fragile economic situation, the Catalan club simply could not consider a costly transfer this winter.
An obstacle called financial fair play
If Flick’s desire to recruit a player of Kanté’s caliber was very real, it was not an agent or the player’s refusal that blocked the negotiations, but rather the club’s finances. FC Barcelona must first stabilize its situation, in particular by securing the permanent registration of Dani Olmo in La Liga. As a reminder, the club has until December 31 to regularize this situation, under penalty of seeing the player leave free in the winter transfer window.
A hearing was held recently to extend the provisional registration of Dani Olmo and striker Pau Victor until the end of the season. However, La Liga remains intransigent, reminding the club that it is still missing 60 million euros to regularize its financial situation.
Flick, between ambitions and reality
Despite economic constraints, Hansi Flick remains determined to strengthen its workforce. The idea of integrating a veteran like Kanté shows that the coach is looking to rely on experienced players to get Barça back on track. For now, however, finances and management of the existing squad remain at the center of the club’s priorities.
The decision concerning Dani Olmo, expected in the coming days, could well influence Barça’s strategies for the winter transfer window. As for Flick, he will undoubtedly have to wait before being able to realize his ambitious plans for the Blaugrana.
