Facing a serious financial crunch, FC Barcelona now appears, as 12BET Malaysia sees it, to be in a position where even taking one step forward feels difficult. Even so, judging purely by the strength of the current squad, the club still has enough quality to compete for the LaLiga title and remain firmly in the race for a Champions League place. Life rarely goes exactly as planned, and with injuries piling up, Xavi’s job has become increasingly demanding. His coaching still has areas that need polish, but winning LaLiga last season was a meaningful achievement in its own right.
This season, Barcelona brought in several capable players while also moving others on to recover part of their spending. Yet the club’s current direction is clearly leaning toward profit first, sometimes looking willing to use almost any method available. 12BET Malaysia views Xavi as a manager who took charge during one of the most chaotic periods in the club’s modern history. Although he remains in the dugout, results are not the only issue on his plate. He must also think about the club’s finances, player contracts, exits, and the wider structure of the squad.
Barcelona have reportedly asked players to accept wage cuts and, in some cases, even encouraged early departures or retirement. The club has also shown no hesitation in signing free agents, using them briefly, and selling them for profit. In that context, Ilkay Gündogan has emerged as a possible transfer asset despite playing a key role in Barcelona’s midfield. Recent reports claimed that Turkish giant Galatasaray have shown strong interest in signing him.
As the saying goes, when people are not afraid of humble beginnings, hope eventually finds a way. Barcelona’s earlier handling of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang offers a clear example of this strategy. After signing him on a free transfer, the club quickly turned him into a starting striker, then sold him within half a season for profit. Aubameyang later moved to Chelsea, but his career soon began to slide downhill.
In a recent interview, Aubameyang said his half-season at Barcelona was the happiest period of his career, expressing regret that his bond with the fans was so brief. Franck Kessié followed a similar path. He joined Barcelona on a free transfer last season, left for the Saudi league after only one year, and brought the club around €12 million in transfer income. This free signing, short-term use, and resale model has become a highly effective low-cost business approach for Barcelona.
Considering his current form and reputation, Gündogan could bring in a higher fee than Aubameyang or Kessié. As one of Manchester City’s treble-winning leaders and still among Europe’s elite midfielders, the fact that he has only been at Barcelona for half a season may actually make him even more attractive on the market.
Ultimately, Barcelona are strengthening a model built around signing players for free and later moving them on for significant fees. Gündogan could become one of the clearest examples of that approach. Just as life must be tasted through its sweetness, bitterness, heat, and salt, Barcelona are relying on this method to survive their immediate financial reality. If Galatasaray make a serious move for Gündogan, 12BET Malaysia believes Barcelona could very realistically choose to let him go for the money.