Barca benches three new players worth $267 million
Coutinho, Dembele and Yerry Mina all did not have a starting position in the Eibar - Barca match in round 24 of La Liga.
Due to not having enough playing time to integrate successfully, all three new players started on the bench in the match on the evening of February 17. In the second half, Coutinho was the only player of the three to have a chance to play when he replaced Iniesta.
To buy the new group of players, Barca had to spend about 267 million dollars. This is only the initial payment, and does not take into account the additional amount if they play successfully in the future.
According to the newspaperDiario SportThe fact that three expensive new recruits have not been able to integrate shows the special requirements at Barca. Many players play successfully at other clubs, but are not sure to play well for Barca if they do not have enough time.
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Coutinho (left) has not had a starting position since leaving Liverpool. |
Since the start of the 2017-2018 season, Coutinho, Dembele and Mina have only played for their new team for a few hundred minutes. Because the new players have not yet integrated, coach Ernesto Valverde decided not to use them in the main squad when they need to win.
The win over Eibar was Barca's first win after two consecutive draws in La Liga. It is also an important warm-up for the big match against Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16.
Because the expensive new recruits have not yet integrated, Barca is basically no stronger than last season. The team's force is even weaker due to the loss of Neymar and accepting Mascherano's move to China.
