Players over 30 years old, Barcelona changes course and decides to buy experience

2023-07-20 15:06:30, Sport CNA

Coincidence or not, three of the 4 players approached by Barcelona in the 2023-2024 summer market have something in common: they are over thirty. Injigo Martinez has turned 32, Oriol Romeu will do so in September and Ilkaj Gyndoan will turn 33 in October. What for some former members of the club, such as ex-coach Ronald Koeman, is a problem (the Dutchman recently criticized the transfer policy), for others it could be one of the keys to Barca next season.

With players such as Injigo Martinez, Oriol Romeu and Gyndoan, Barça is not only gaining experience, but also leadership. The German spoke about this during his presentation last Monday.

"I've learned in the last two years what things need to be done, how to win the Champions League and I can transmit it here to Barcelona," declared the German, who came as a free player from Manchester City.

Robert Levandovski did the same thing as Gyndoan a year ago, when after the elimination in the Champions League he said that "sometimes you have to know how to win and not how to play to win. This is what happened to us."

Full of young players (Arauho, Balde, Pedri, Gavi, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres), something positive for Barcelona in the club's long-term plans. But for sure, the sports leaders of the club and the coach must have felt something in the last season, they have seen beyond them.

It could be a coincidence, because Barça has also benefited from the fact that in two of the cases (Injigo Martinez and Gyndoan) the players' contracts have ended and they came with zero parameters. But it can also be a perfect strategy to achieve that perfect mix between veterans and youngsters, which also has its intermediate level in footballers like Ter Stegen, De Jong, Dembele or Rafinha.

Gyndoan comes as captain of Manchester City, after managing to win the treble. An experienced footballer who was heard in the dressing room. Injigo, on the other hand, is a natural leader, and as such he appeared in "Ciutat Esportiva".

And Oriol Romeu is a football player with tactical sense, but who can also be heard in the dressing room. The losses of Baskets and Zhordi Alba in the summer have been sufficiently compensated. In terms of experience, there will be little doubt about Barça.