Ronald Koeman is satisfied with the way Barcelona conducted their summer transfer business.
Koeman took over the managerial reins at Camp Nou from Quique Setien earlier in the summer. The famous Dutchman has insisted on a certain type of players during the transfer window, and Barcelona have delivered.
Up-and-coming winger Pedri and Francisco Trincao arrived as attacking reinforcements, while experienced playmaker Miralem Pjanic replaced departed Arthur Melo.
As for the defensive line, attacking-minded right-back Sergino Dest arrived from Ajax, while towering centre-back Ronald Araujo got promoted from the academy.
On the other hand, Luis Suarez, who switched to Atletico Madrid, headlined the departures, with Arthur, Ivan Rakitic, Nelson Semedo, and Arturo Vidal following out through the exit door.
Tasked with the imperative of restoring Barcelona in Europe’s elite, Koeman is pleased to work with the players currently at his disposal.
“I am happy with the squad that we have. We have tried to improve,” he told Barcelona’s official website.
“With some things, we’ve done that, and others we haven’t, but that’s also partly due to the club’s financial situation. We have to accept it and work hard.
“Pedri and Trincao have been working since day 1, performing well. Pedri is only 17, and I love how he is working, training, and playing. Trincao is also adapting quickly to our ideas, and he is a young player with a great future ahead of him.
“Pjanic has arrived here a little later, but he will gradually get up to full fitness. He has a lot of quality.
“Dest looked very comfortable in his 20 minutes against Sevilla.
“Araujo has a great future ahead of him. He is physically strong and pretty fast. He is a kid who wants to learn. He is always open to learning new things. He has things to improve, which is normal at his age.”
Koeman has also reflected on the highly-rated young playmaker Riqui Puig, who has opted to stay and fancy his first-team chances under the new manager.
“Riqui has decided to stay. If his performance is there, then he will have opportunities to play.”
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