Pique Back at Barca
Gerard Pique is heading back to the Camp Nou as the first signing in what should be a busy transfer season in Catalonia.
Barcelona have agreed terms with Manchester United to sign defender Gerard Pique on a four-year deal.
The transfer will see the 21-year-old rejoin the Catalan giants, who he left to join United in 2004 at the age of 17.
A statement on the Barcelona website read: ‘The player will this afternoon sign a contract that will link him to FC Barcelona until June 30 2012 and which will include a buy-out clause of £39.9million (50 million euros).
The signing of a defender seems to be goodbye to both Gianluca Zambrotta and Rafael Marquez. Barca now look to trot out a back line of Puyol, Milito, Abidal and now Pique. This crowded back line makes Zambrotta and Marquez expendable and more likely to be among those on their way out the door. I like the signing of Pique as he is a great player, but I don’t want to see Marquez go. I didn’t see the back line as too much of a problem last season however and feel most of the money and additions should go into the midfield. If Eto’o and Henry are back they need a playmaking facilitator to feed them the ball, the way Ronaldinho and Deco used to. But with maybe all four of them gone and a new manager the teams attacking style and strategy may change.
Looking to shore up the midfield Barca has added Seydou Keita, the first Mali player in the history of Barcelona. Primarily a defensive midfielder he should provide toughness into the middle of the pitch and hopefully make sure the ball doesn’t get too deep into his own end.
