Flick talks Lamine, Gordon, Bisiwu, Tunkara, Espart, striker pursuit: ‘We know we have to do something’ | OneFootball

FC Barcelona ended their pre-season training camp at St. George’s Park in England today with an intra-squad training match that ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Blaugrana will now fly back to the Catalan capital and continue their preparations for the new season, with a few more friendlies coming up ahead.

Flick opens up on transfer situation

There has been some concern growing among the fans about the recent lack of activity in the transfer market from Barcelona, in particular with their hunt for a new striker to replace Robert Lewandowki.

Asked about Barcelona’s pursuit of a No. 9, Flick admitted the club is still working to strengthen the position, making it clear that signing a new striker remains a priority.

“We have to wait. I have total confidence in Deco, we know we have to do something. It also depends on Ferran. We’ll see what happens,” he said, as quoted by SPORT.

Flick’s comments not only confirmed Barcelona’s determination to bring in a centre-forward but also hinted that Ferran Torres’ future could play a key role in how the club approaches the remainder of the transfer window.

Flick has full confidence in Deco. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Plenty of options in attack

Despite the search for a striker, Flick stressed that Barcelona already have several players capable of filling different attacking roles, highlighting Lamine Yamal, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi as options.

“Playing with a false nine? It will depend on the squad we have. Lamine played in that position one or two matches with us. I think he’s a fantastic player, a world-class player, so he can adapt there as well,” he noted.

“Gordon and Adeyemi can play on both wings and also as a number nine. So, in reality, we have many options.”

No rush to sign another midfielder

Flick also played down the possibility of signing another midfielder following Frenkie de Jong’s injury, saying:

“We’re always thinking about improving the team and what’s best for it. But at the moment, I think we have a lot of midfielders. That’s the situation. We’ll see what happens over the next few weeks.”

The Barcelona coach also discussed Jesse Bisiwu, the club’s latest summer signing, admitting the youngster has only recently joined the group but has already made a positive impression.

“He’s only trained a little with us. He has just arrived, but you can already see that he’s a player with talent and speed. The plan is for him to train with us,” he said.

Young talents impress

Flick reserved special praise for several academy players who stood out during pre-season, highlighting Ebrima Tunkara, Xavi Espart, and Orian Goren.

“First of all, the conditions here at St. George’s Park have been fantastic. Everything is close by and the pitches have been incredible. But when I compare it with my first year here in 2024, I think this season we have more quality,” Flick said.

“More quality in the squad, more quality among the young players, and more quality from La Masia.”

Ebrima Tunkara has made a big impression. (Picture credit: Instagram/@ebrimatunkara10)

Continuing, he added: “Ebrima is a great talent. And Orian as well. We have many talented players.

“Xavi Espart played very well at right-back. He had a very good match against Birmingham, and you can also see in training that he’s performing at a top level. And there are many others too.”

“Champions never stop”

Flick also dismissed concerns that Barcelona’s Spanish World Cup winners could lose motivation after lifting the trophy.

“I think champions never stop. They know how to win titles. That’s very important. This title should give them even more confidence.

“They know that when you work hard and stay focused every day, in the end it becomes something special. And that’s exactly what we want to achieve this season,” he concluded.