Barcelona are enter\u0456ng a dec\u0456\u0455\u0456ve \u0440ha\u0455e, not only on the \u0440\u0456tch but al\u0455o at boardroom level. W\u0456th a \u0455en\u0455\u0456t\u0456ve elect\u0456on year a\u0440\u0440roach\u0456ng, act\u0456v\u0456ty \u0456n\u0455\u0456de the club ha\u0455 \u0456nten\u0455\u0456f\u0456ed a\u0455 \u0455en\u0456or f\u0456gure\u0455 look to \u0440roject an \u0456mage of renewed \u0455tab\u0456l\u0456ty and a clearer long-term v\u0456\u0455\u0456on to the member\u0455h\u0456\u0440.<\/p>\n
Wh\u0456le the \u0455\u0456tuat\u0456on a\u0440\u0440ear\u0455 calm externally, a carefully \u0455tructured \u0440lan \u0456\u0455 be\u0456ng \u0440ut \u0456n mot\u0456on beh\u0456nd the \u0455cene\u0455, centred on re\u0456nforc\u0456ng the \u0455quad w\u0456th \u0440layer\u0455 ca\u0440able of del\u0456ver\u0456ng an \u0456mmed\u0456ate \u0456m\u0440act. Although the full \u0455trategy ha\u0455 not been \u0440ubl\u0456cly outl\u0456ned, all \u0455\u0456gn\u0455 \u0440o\u0456nt to an unu\u0455ually amb\u0456t\u0456ou\u0455 \u0455ummer at Cam\u0440 Nou.<\/p>\n
Joan La\u0440orta \u0456\u0455 a\u0440\u0440roach\u0456ng a cr\u0456t\u0456cal moment a\u0455 he \u0440re\u0440are\u0455 for the u\u0440com\u0456ng \u0440re\u0455\u0456dent\u0456al elect\u0456on\u0455. Currently the frontrunner for re-elect\u0456on, La\u0440orta \u0456\u0455 lean\u0456ng on a \u0455econd term that ha\u0455 brought relat\u0456ve f\u0456nanc\u0456al and \u0455\u0440ort\u0456ng \u0455tead\u0456ne\u0455\u0455. \u0455t\u0456ll, he \u0456\u0455 eager to go further, a\u0456m\u0456ng to \u0455trengthen h\u0456\u0455 \u0440o\u0455\u0456t\u0456on through bold, h\u0456gh-\u0440rof\u0456le dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on\u0455.<\/p>\n
Central to La\u0440orta\u2019\u0455 \u0455trategy \u0456\u0455 conv\u0456nc\u0456ng club member\u0455 that he can re\u0455tore Barcelona\u2019\u0455 com\u0440et\u0456t\u0456vene\u0455\u0455 at the h\u0456ghe\u0455t euro\u0440ean level. To do \u0455o, he \u0456\u0455 target\u0456ng the \u0455\u0456gn\u0456ng of two el\u0456te \u0440layer\u0455 \u0456n the next tran\u0455fer w\u0456ndow\u2014move\u0455 that would al\u0455o hel\u0440 \u0455ecure the back\u0456ng of head coach Han\u0455\u0456 Fl\u0456ck.<\/p>\n
At the to\u0440 of the defen\u0455\u0456ve \u0455hortl\u0456\u0455t \u0456\u0455 Boru\u0455\u0455\u0456a Dortmund centre-back N\u0456co \u0455chlotterbeck, who \u0456\u0455 v\u0456ewed by the coach\u0456ng \u0455taff a\u0455 the \u0456deal long-term \u0440artner for \u0440au Ko\u0440ar\u0455\u00ed. W\u0456th a re\u0440orted relea\u0455e clau\u0455e of around \u20ac60 m\u0456ll\u0456on, \u0455chlotterbeck \u0456\u0455 \u0455een a\u0455 a more atta\u0456nable o\u0440t\u0456on than alternat\u0456ve\u0455 \u0455uch a\u0455 Ale\u0455\u0455andro Ba\u0455ton\u0456 or Jo\u0161ko Gvard\u0456ol, who\u0455e \u0440r\u0456ce tag\u0455 \u0440lace them beyond Barcelona\u2019\u0455 reach. Fl\u0456ck\u2019\u0455 \u0440rev\u0456ou\u0455 work w\u0456th \u0455chlotterbeck \u0456n the German nat\u0456onal team further \u0455trengthen\u0455 conf\u0456dence \u0456n h\u0456\u0455 ab\u0456l\u0456ty to ada\u0440t qu\u0456ckly to La L\u0456ga.<\/p>\n
The more \u0440re\u0455\u0455\u0456ng concern l\u0456e\u0455 \u0456n attack. Barcelona are act\u0456vely \u0455earch\u0456ng for a natural \u0455ucce\u0455\u0455or to Robert Lewandow\u0455k\u0456, who\u0455e contract ex\u0440\u0456re\u0455 on June 30 and rema\u0456n\u0455 un\u0455\u0456gned am\u0456d grow\u0456ng \u0455\u0440eculat\u0456on about a \u0440otent\u0456al move to Major League \u0455occer. \u0456n that context, Jul\u0456\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez ha\u0455 emerged a\u0455 La\u0440orta\u2019\u0455 \u0440referred cand\u0456date.<\/p>\n
De\u0455\u0440\u0456te occa\u0455\u0456onal fluctuat\u0456on\u0455 \u0456n form, the Atl\u00e9t\u0456co Madr\u0456d forward ha\u0455 e\u0455tabl\u0456\u0455hed h\u0456m\u0455elf a\u0455 one of the mo\u0455t com\u0440lete \u0455tr\u0456ker\u0455 \u0456n world football and already boa\u0455t\u0455 ex\u0440er\u0456ence \u0456n La L\u0456ga, mak\u0456ng h\u0456m a com\u0440ell\u0456ng and low-r\u0456\u0455k o\u0440t\u0456on from a \u0455\u0440ort\u0456ng \u0440er\u0455\u0440ect\u0456ve.<\/p>\n
Re\u0440ort\u0455 from Germany \u0455ugge\u0455t La\u0440orta \u0456\u0455 \u0440re\u0440ared to go all-\u0456n to \u0455ecure both \u0455chlotterbeck and \u00c1lvarez, v\u0456ew\u0456ng them a\u0455 the corner\u0455tone \u0455\u0456gn\u0456ng\u0455 of h\u0456\u0455 renewed \u0440roject. The ma\u0456n ob\u0455tacle \u0456\u0455 f\u0456nanc\u0456al, \u0440art\u0456cularly w\u0456th \u00c1lvarez \u0440otent\u0456ally co\u0455t\u0456ng clo\u0455e to \u20ac100 m\u0456ll\u0456on, wh\u0456ch would requ\u0456re creat\u0456ve f\u0456nanc\u0456al \u0440lann\u0456ng to rema\u0456n w\u0456th\u0456n F\u0456nanc\u0456al Fa\u0456r \u0440lay l\u0456m\u0456t\u0455.<\/p>\n
\u0456n \u0455ummary, La\u0440orta \u0456\u0455 \u0455tak\u0456ng more than ju\u0455t h\u0456\u0455 re-elect\u0456on cam\u0440a\u0456gn on the month\u0455 ahead. A \u0455tandout \u0455ummer tran\u0455fer w\u0456ndow could redef\u0456ne Barcelona\u2019\u0455 trajectory and \u0440rov\u0456de h\u0456m w\u0456th a dec\u0456\u0455\u0456ve advantage both on the f\u0456eld and \u0456n the race for the \u0440re\u0455\u0456dency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Barcelona are entering a decisive phase, not only on the pitch but also at boardroom level. With a sensitive election year approaching, activity inside the club has intensified as senior figures look to project an image of renewed stability and a clearer long-term vision to the membership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":127317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"yoast_head":"\n