With Raphinha already in the squad, why is Barcelona still looking for a left-winger?

The topic of searching for a new left winger is not yet fully resolved at Barcelona. After failing to secure Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao, Barca is reportedly targeting Luis Diaz and Marcus Rashford. Although Raphinha, who performed brilliantly last season, is already on the team, Coach Hansi Flick feels there is still a need to recruit a left winger.

Barca's search for a new left winger raises questions at first glance. What is the reason that Barca still feels the need to recruit a left winger while they still have Raphinha in that position?

Moreover, Raphinha has made an impressive appearance by being the driving force behind Barca's attack alongside Lamine Yamal. Raphinha scored a total of 34 goals and provided 25 assists in 57 matches across all competitions last season.

With Raphinha's performance being what it is, some believe there is no urgency for Barca to add a new player in the left wing position. According to them, recruiting a left winger at this time is not particularly pressing as Raphinha is already one of the few best wingers in Europe.

However, Barca management sees their left wing position as very vulnerable and needs to be strengthened by bringing in new players.

The primary reason is the player crisis. Raphinha did indeed perform impressively last season, but he is currently the only left winger that Barca has after Ansu Fati decided to leave for AS Monaco.

Navigating a busy season with only one left winger and no backup is a reckless action. Moreover, the winger position is non-negotiable in Flick's favored 4-2-3-1 formation. Therefore, Flick and the management of Barca agreed that a new player is needed to serve as a backup for Raphinha.

Barca indeed still has Ferran Torres who can play on the left wing. However, the former Manchester City player is originally positioned as a central striker and serves as a backup for Robert Lewandowski.

If Lewandowski is absent, Torres becomes the leading figure in the center forward position as was the case last season. Torres also performs better when positioned closer to the opponent's goal, rather than starting the attack from the wing.

The second reason stems from concerns that Raphinha's impressive performance is a one-season wonder. It's not uncommon for a footballer to put in a dazzling performance and then suddenly experience a decline in performance the following season.

To anticipate the occurrence of that phenomenon with Raphinha, the management of Barca has no choice but to seek an alternative left-wing forward. They do not want to take the risk of relying solely on Raphinha's performance.

The third reason pertains to competition. A football player is more likely to maintain their performance if there is a rival contesting the position as a starting player.

Raphinha, who currently has no backup on the left wing, is at risk of becoming complacent due to the guaranteed position as a starting player resulting from the lack of competition. With the presence of a left winger of equal capability, it is hoped that Raphinha and his backup will be continually motivated to improve their performance.

Having Raphinha's backup also benefits Flick, who will have more options when choosing his lineup. Just as when hopes of signing Williams were still alive, Flick is expected to experiment with shifting Raphinha to a second striker role.

The current issue for Barca is finding the right figure to fill the left wing position. After Williams failed to join due to his preference for extending his contract for 10 years with Bilbao, Barca is now continuously linked with Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford and Luis Diaz from Liverpool.

Diaz is considered to have the qualities that Flick expects. However, there are many factors that the management of Barca needs to consider in recruiting him, particularly regarding the price. With limited player purchasing power, acquiring Diaz is not a wise choice for Barca.

The current market price of Diaz has reached 80 million euros, which is quite high and would consume a significant portion of Barca's budget at a time when they also need to recruit players in other positions. Additionally, Diaz's age of 28 makes it difficult to resell him at a high price.

As for Rashford, Spanish daily Sport reported that Flick and Barca's sporting director, Deco, were not on the same page. "Hansi Flick is very fond of Rashford, but the sporting management (director) is not. This means a final decision must be made soon regarding Barca's pursuit of the left wing position," Sport wrote.

Another option that Barca could consider is to reintroduce players from the academy. For the left wing position, there are two potential candidates, namely Dani Rodriguez and Ibrahim Diarra, who are currently playing for Barca's B team.

The idea to promote players from La Masia was primarily expressed by former Barca midfielder, Pedro, who now plays for Lazio. "I would choose players from the youth team. Bringing in stars always generates more enthusiasm, but Barca is interested in adjusting one or two parts and continuing to build the rest with the academy," said Pedro in an interview with Tribuna.

The choice to utilize players developed from the academy makes more sense for Barca, rather than continuously seeking a replacement for Raphinha from other clubs. Barca has repeatedly proven successful in promoting players nurtured from their academy, such as Pau Cubarsi, Marc Casado, and the most phenomenal, Lamine Yamal.

With such a precedent, there's no harm in giving academy players a chance to rival Raphinha.