In years gone by, if you wanted a simple football manager game where all you had to do was steamroll your way to league glory while splashing millions of pounds on the world’s best players, Barcelona would be a pretty solid choice. .
However, times have changed at Camp Nou, and you’ll have plenty of work on your hands if you decide to take the hot seat at the 2021 edition of the game.
If you’re good enough to be the ringleader of a modern-day Barcelona circus, take a look at our list of the top ten things you need to do once your tenure begins.
Mathis Fernandes can be forwarded to make Transfer Funds / Socrates Images / Getty Images
Despite a massive summer overhaul, Barca’s squad is still threadbare in areas and certainly lacks balance. So, it’s up to you to bring in some talented, high-profile new faces – good luck doing that with a budget of £9.1m.
Yes, with the club’s financial crisis showing no signs of abating any time soon, you’ll have to spend just as much on new signings.
If you want to identify an area of the team where you can lose some bodies, then look no further than central midfield.
La Blaugrana have few senior centre-backs to choose from / Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Once you’ve got a bit of cash it’s time to go and spend it, and your first port of call should be the center of defense.
With Jean-Clair Todibo on loan to Benfica, La Blaugrana have just two fit centre-backs in their senior squad, with Samuel Umtiti (obviously) sidelined through injury for at least five weeks.
The first-choice partnership of Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet is solid enough, though reinforcements are definitely needed, and with the aforementioned Pique in his 30s you might want to start scouting for a replacement while you’re at it. .
Lionel Messi has a one-year contract extension that you can activate immediately / Eric Alonso/Getty Images
Yes, he’s had a bit of a tough summer and yes, he’s already 33 by the time you’ve got him, but it’s a bit of a brainstorm, isn’t it?
One of the first bits of business you’ll be tasked with performing is finding players who have recently entered the final year of their current contract, and lucky for you, Lionel Messi is the only one. has the option to extend the contract automatically.
With a five-star rating there’s no way you’re going to let a man of his quality slip through your fingers for nothing.
Center forward reinforcements are essential if you’re serious about mounting a title challenge / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Another area that desperately needs attention.
After the sale of Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid, Barcelona do not have a single out-and-out striker in their senior squad. No one. zero Zilch. not one.
That being said, there are a number of players who could easily fill the center forward void such as Antoine Griezmann and Messi, but none of them are listed as strikers for the purpose of the game.
Given Barça’s tight backline you’re likely to send in a few goals, so finding a threat going forward will be key to your success and a suitable centre-forward could be just what you need.
Fati and Pedri are two of Barcelona’s brightest stars / LLUIS GENE/Getty Images
It’s no secret that Barcelona have some of the most promising talent in European football.
Ansu Fati and Padre in particular have the potential to become absolute superstars, however, with so much competition for their preferred positions, they may bide their time.
Make sure they know they have a future at the club and make sure they are given the game time necessary to develop, otherwise you will be forced to sell yourself a future world beater. can feel
Oriol Busquets will spend the first season of your savings on loan at FC Twente/ANP Sport/Getty Images.
Speaking of which.
Oriol Busquets has long been touted as his namesake successor at the base of the Barca midfield, and with Sergio Busquets entering the twilight of his career it could be the youngster’s time to shine.
The 21-year-old will be on loan at FC Twente for the 2020/21 season and a free agent when he returns to the Camp Nou next summer.
He owes more than his fair share of fans if you don’t secure him a new deal, so act fast or risk losing him next year.
Could Sergio Busquets be next out of the Camp Nou exit door? / Quality Sports Images/Getty Images
Despite a summer of transfers, Barcelona still have a lot of work to do on their aging squad.
The spine of their starting XI still includes a number of club stalwarts, and with many of them having eye-watering deals it could be a good idea for tight ties.
A valuable part of any squad with experience and La Blaugrana are no longer in a position to go out and throw blank checks at clubs, so be careful who you choose to move forward.
Philippe Coutinho is struggling to live up to the hype that surrounded the Camp Nou/Alex Caparros/Getty Images
One of the forgotten men of the Camp Nou, but if you can see past his undoubted quality it will be like a new signing to your squad.
Philippe Coutinho will greet you with a very low morale when you first take over at Barcelona, however, if you can pick him up and help him rediscover the form that made him Spain was safe to move, so you have a real player on your hard.
Adding all of Barcelona’s top talent to their starting XI will be a huge task / Erik Alonso/Getty Images
It seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? But it can be more difficult than you think.
Given the imbalance in Barcelona’s squad, there are many things to consider before choosing your formation.
Only two-foot centre-backs refuse to play three at the back, although the club’s full-backs are generally more adept at getting ahead of the defence, but do you want to risk exposing Pique and Lenglet?
Quite the headache we’re sure you can imagine.
It’s been a rough few years in Barcelona / Josep Lago / Getty Images
It’s been a tough few years to be a Barcelona fan – relatively tough, anyway.
La Blaugrana followers have been forced to watch as their squad has been dismantled this summer, with even star man Messi at one point looking ready for pastures new.
So, when you land on the job and hold your first press conference, don’t bother to be cautious and tell fans that they need to be realistic with your limited budget – reach for the stars!
Tell them you’re going to win the lot and take this great Spanish club back to where it belongs.