La Liga preview: Can Barcelona problem Actual Madrid after post-Lionel Messi revamp?

Barcelona has now spent round $160 million on participant transfers and signed a few of European soccer's most coveted gamers, together with Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé and Raphinha.

As Bayern Munich boss Julien Nagelsmann not too long ago described it: "[Barcelona] is the one membership on the earth that haven't any cash, however then purchase all of the gamers they need. I do not know the way they do it. It is a bit unusual, a bit loopy."

Nevertheless, within the quick workforce no less than, fears across the membership's incapacity to register its new stars have been allayed barely by the activation of a number of financial "levers," within the phrases of Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

The membership is reported to have additional financial levers on the prepared if it finds La Liga does not agree with its accounting and refuses to permit the registration of Barça's new glut of expertise.

"It's a managed danger. If now we have to get better the plan of [selling further club assets], we'll weigh it up, however we imagine we will register the brand new signings with this deal.

"First, now we have to register the gamers now we have signed and resolve the futures of the gamers not within the supervisor's plans [before signing more players]," Laporta added. "After that, we'll see what we will do. The coach needs extra reinforcements."

Expertise galore

It stays to be seen how these monetary injections will impression the Blaugrana in the long run, however for now it ought to permit the membership to subject, on paper no less than, a aggressive squad that would maybe slender the hole on defending La Liga champion Actual Madrid.

Nevertheless, catching Los Blancos and eradicating the 13-point distinction that separated the 2 groups on the finish of final season looks as if a tall order.

With the additions of those stars to an already proficient squad -- notably rising teenage sensation Eduardo Camavinga -- Actual's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro believes the workforce can problem for trophies on each entrance this coming season.

"Final yr, Camavinga confirmed that he can do very properly, and I imagine that Tchouaméni and Rüdiger are gamers who can are available in and assist the squad," Casemiro advised Muricas News en Español. "They're necessary gamers for us.

"After all, each time a participant of this stage arrives, they may assist us to win trophies as a result of we all know that, to win competitions, you must have a squad, not only a workforce. I believe now we have to have plenty of good gamers and each time gamers arrive with this high quality, it all the time helps us.

"Lately, we have had a very good dressing room with good folks, they're pleasant. It is a very calm dressing room and it is very straightforward to be with the gamers. I'm certain that, from the primary day, they may really feel very comfy, they may really feel that everybody could be very pleasant and the locker room could be very, very calm."

Moreover, there's one participant in Actual Madrid's ranks who 2022 Champions League Remaining hero Thibaut Courtois believes might be one thing of a secret weapon this season.

Ever since his $130 million transfer to the Spanish capital in 2019, Eden Hazard has been beset by accidents and mustered simply 66 appearances in that point. Nevertheless, having spent a number of coaching classes collectively along with his Belgium teammate in the course of the preseason, Courtois is assured that Actual followers will now see the Hazard of previous.

"It relies upon the place the coach performs him -- the Hazard of Chelsea performed out extensive and the Hazard of Belgium performs in a 3-4-3 as an inside and never as a ahead," he advised reporters throughout Actual's preseason tour of the US. "However I believe he is doing properly and has additionally had just one week of coaching, however I am certain he might help the workforce loads.

"We'll need to see when Karim [Benzema] returns how we will play with Eden, however they're questions for the coach. I belief in him [Hazard], he feels good, he is been doing properly this week in plenty of coaching classes and has held up bodily, so his accidents are up to now.

"The opposite day, Rodrygo gave him a very good kick in coaching," Courtois laughed, "and Eden received up shortly. So I believe there are not any issues."

Following the perfect particular person season of his profession, wherein he scored 44 targets in 46 video games, Benzema has continued to show simply how necessary he's to this workforce, scoring two targets in two video games on his return to the facet in preseason.

The Frenchman then netted one other in Actual Madrid's 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday to raise the UEFA Tremendous Cup, his 324th purpose for the 14-time European champion, placing him second on the membership's all-time scoring listing behind solely Cristiano Ronaldo.

Better of the remaining

Actual's metropolis rival Atlético, which by some means completed third behind a struggling Barça final season, is but to discover a dependable substitute for veteran striker Luis Suárez, who returned house to Uruguay to play for childhood workforce Nacional.

Álvaro Morata is returning to the membership after his season-long mortgage at Juventus, however based mostly on his earlier performances for the membership, it appears unlikely the Spaniard would be the solutions to Atleti's attacking woes.

Nahuel Molina is available in from Udinese to interchange stalwart Šime Vrsaljko at proper again and Saúl Ñíguez returns from a completely unsuccessful season on mortgage at Chelsea, however a Champions League place is probably going all Atlético can hope for this season.

Among the many remainder of La Liga's normal suspects, Sevilla -- regardless of including Isco from Actual Madrid and Alex Telles from Manchester United -- seems significantly weaker than final season after dropping its first alternative middle again pairing of Koundé and Diego Carlos.

New central defender Marcao, signed from Galatasaray, definitely has huge sneakers to fill and might want to carry out instantly if Sevilla need to problem for the highest 4 as soon as once more.

Final season's Copa del Rey winner Actual Betis, which paired that cup success with a fifth-place end in La Liga, has retained a lot of the key items from its squad, dropping solely Hector Bellerin again to Arsenal following the tip of his mortgage spell.

The workforce can be bolstered by the additions of central defender Luiz Felipe and thrilling Brazilian prospect Luiz Henrique, who has reportedly been wowing his new membership in pre-season coaching.

However with a secure squad, thrilling signings and no off-field distractions, Actual Madrid already seems just like the workforce to beat in La Liga this season.