Photo credit: ESPN FC
Spanish giant soccer club FC Barcelona recently made their first signing of the 2024/2025 season. It happens to be none other than the current Spanish UEFA Euro-winning forward Dani Olmo, who played for the German club RB Leipzig last season. Popularly trusted soccer journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the deal, valid until at least June 2030, cost the Spanish side €55m guaranteed fee plus €7m add-ons (equivalent to about $60m + $7.6m). So, what's the fuss about?
It's no news that FC Barcelona isn't the most financially buoyant team in the world right now, a condition that has even forced them to move on from former high-earning key players like Inter Miami's Lionel Messi or subject their existing players to wage cuts. Thus, the fans famously known as Culers expect the team not to plunge headfirst into any transfer deal except one that won't only favor them from a sporting perspective but also on a financial level. Does FC Barcelona need Dani Olmo? Could he be the solution to FC Barcelona's silverware drought last season? Could he help them win the UCL trophy, which has constantly evaded the team for almost ten years? Is he worth the "huge" bundles of cash the board coughed up to sign him? Unfortunately, many Culers don't think so. But I have an entirely different opinion.
Williams vs. Olmo
Olmo and Williams/ Photo credit: Cadena SER
This transfer window has seen many Culers cry out to FC Barcelona's President Joan Laporta and Sporting Director Deco to acquire the services of Spanish winger Nico Williams mainly because of his explosive upfield partnership and off-field camaraderie with Barcelona's young sensation Lamine Yamal for the Spain National Team. According to some fans, it'll be crucial to have Williams and Yamal replicate what they did for the National Team during their fruitful UEFA Euro 2024 campaign for the club. However, this deal is difficult to get through due to William's loyalty to his present club, Athletic Club, and his elder brother's boyhood club.
What are Laporta and Deco supposed to do in such a situation? Keep on wooing Nico? Obviously, not with the wages due to the club's financial constraints. This move may seem irrational because Olmo, one of the keys to La Roja's Euro triumph, has never shied away from showing his love for his boyhood club, FC Barcelona. So, what's the "Give us Williams! Take Olmo!" chants about?
Why Olmo's Signing is a Blessing in Disguise
In recent times, FC Barcelona has had a history of making signings that later ended up being colossal failures. More often than not, it's the so-called “big signings” that end up being underwhelming, like in the case of Coutinho, Griezmann, and Dembele. These three players were signed for over 100 million dollars each and eventually left the club for peanuts without an impressive footprint. Meanwhile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a low-profile signing, left a lasting impression on the heart of the Culers. I honestly think Olmo can bring joy to Barcelona again.
Let's see what Olmo can offer the Culers:
Versatility
Modern soccer demands not-too-rigid players who can play multiple positions. For a club like Barcelona, this is even more necessary as they don't have abundant resources and Liga support to sign as many players as they would've wanted. It's safe to say that Dani Olmo was one of the most versatile players in the market before the club swooped down on him.
Barcelona is in dire need of a left-winger (football, not politics), hence their interest in Nico Williams. It was also reasonable for the club to acquire a decent attacking midfielder, as Pedri, their starting AMF, has been plagued by injury woes for the past few years and is currently injured. If the club was looking to hit two birds with one projectile, they've already done it. Dani Olmo can handle both positions so well that it's difficult to tell where he excels more. He was deployed into either position depending on the tactics or available squad list when he was at RB Leipzig.
More recently, he scored the first goal of the match against Germany in the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Euro 2024 from the AMF position after coming in for the injured Pedri. He also delivered the game-winning assist for Mikel Merino's header from the LWF position in the 119th minute of the extra time.
Goalscoring and Chance Creation
Last season, Barcelona was the third most prolific team in front of goal in La Liga with 79 goals, behind Liga Champions Real Madrid (87 goals) and Underdogs of the Season Girona (85 goals). Being the team with the third-highest number of goals may flatter other teams, but for mighty Barcelona, this isn't good. They weren't even the most lethal team in Catalonia; Barcelona lost both Catalan derbies to Girona, by the way. Furthermore, they had more expected goals from open-play than arch-rivals but shot blanks more often.
Dani Olmo won the UEFA Euro 2024 with Spain, winning the Golden Boot. He came from the bench in three out of the six matches he played for Spain in the tournament, despite playing mostly as a No. 10 (AMF). It's also noteworthy that he scored in three consecutive matches (Round of 16, Quarter Finals, and Semi-Finals) of the Euro 2024. Thus, a sharp goalscorer like him can finish off a significant portion of the big chances Barcelona creates every season.
Olmo is also adept at creating chances, as he bagged two assists for Spain in their successful Euro conquest. Barcelona’s frontmen can benefit from more chances for goalscoring.
Maturity, Mentality, and Experience
Dani Olmo may only be 26 years old, but he displays a level of temperament and maturity that will benefit FC Barcelona, a club studded with young stars. His ability to feature in 21 Bundesliga games for RB Leipzig last season without receiving a single yellow or red card is further testament to his ability to keep his head calm and not act rashly.
One quality Dani doesn't get enough credit for is his ironclad mentality. He proved he was “Him” with an impressive hat-trick against Bavarian giants Bayern Munich during RB Leipzig's 2023/2024 Supercup victory. Again, he completed the comeback for Spain against France at the UEFA Euro 2024 Semi-final with a solo goal. With the recent tendency of Barcelona's key players to go suddenly cold in some big matches, Olmo's doggedness could steer the team to victory.
Olmo is also relatively experienced, having made 124 appearances for Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb, where he helped them win the league five times and lift the Cup three times. He also spent five seasons at RB Leipzig, where he won three trophies. Thus, he can help Barça win trophies, which means more money for the Spanish club.
Perfect Fit
Young Olmo and Messi/ Photo credit: we.are.messi(Threads)
Olmo spent his formative years at Barcelona's famous soccer academy La Masia, which has molded numerous stars including eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. So, it's safe to say that he has the Barça DNA. The traditional Barcelona style of play, known as tiki-taka, involves making slick progressive passes in tight spaces and holding onto the ball. Dani is no stranger to tiki-taka since he learned the trade in La Masia and plays for the Spain National Team, which also cherishes the style. He is also capable of making quick,k smart runs into the box like the legendary Andrés Iniesta.
Barça's new coach, Hansi Flick, favors a setup where the No. 10 is goal-hungry and regularly makes runs into the box. Thomas Müller used to do this when Flick was Bayern's coach,h and they won a sextuple during this period. If Olmo is deployed as an AMF, he can be Flick's new Müller.
Passion for the Club
It's one thing to join a club because it has an attractive salary structure and another to unconditionally embrace the opportunity to don the club's jersey. Olmo's love for FC Barcelona can't be questioned, as he looked forward to homecoming before he was eventually signed. A player whose loyalty to a club is sincere would give his all regardless of financial and political troubles.
Bottom Line
Dani Olmo may just be the missing piece that'd lead FC Barcelona to the pinnacle of soccer again. Therefore, let him cook!
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