Although they look to have missed out on signing Nico Williams this summer, Barcelona have been able to bag themselves another Euro 2024 winner in the shape of Dani Olmo.
The former RB Leipzig star was a key man for Spain in their successful Euro 2024 campaign, netting three goals and two assists in the knockout rounds of the tournament.
Having joined Barca in a deal reportedly worth €60m, Olmo is now set to play his senior club football in Spain for the very first time.
So how will he fit in at Barcelona?
With Gavi and Frenkie de Jong set to miss the beginning of the season due to injury, Olmo may be forced to slot into a midfield three to start off with in a Barca shirt.
Perhaps the most glaring issue with this set-up, however, is the lack of any defensive-minded players among the trio of Pedri, Gundogan and Olmo. All three would much rather dart into the offensive third than sit deep and protect the back four, so Barca fans should be braced to watch their team concede quite a few goals if this midfield ever sees the light of day.
Gavi will offer more defensive nous when he returns to action, while De Jong is capable of bursting forward from a deeper position.
Possible lineups
Having been seemingly signed as an alternative option to the highly-coveted Williams, shifting Olmo out to the left wing perhaps makes the most sense from a tactical perspective.
The Spain international’s goals and assist record from a left forward role certainly make for good reading for Barca fans too, with Olmo bagging 29 goal contributions in 43 games during his career from the left flank.
Lamine Yamal on one wing and Olmo on the other is the stuff dreams are made of for any number nine, so expect Robert Lewandowski to be rather excited by the prospect of playing alongside the two Euro 2024 winners during the upcoming season.
Possible lineups
Look, this won’t happen often during the 2024/25 season as, despite Lewandowski now being 35 years old, he’s still one of the best strikers in the world. His 59 goals in 95 Barca appearances prove that.
That being said, when Lewandowski does begin to slow down, the club could easily turn to Olmo as his successor up top.
It would be a departure as Olmo would act as a false nine as opposed to an out-and-out striker, but it would allow La Blaugrana to shift the focal point of their attack towards Yamal and give the outrageously gifted youngster the opportunity to completely dictate things in the final third for the club.
Possible lineups
READ THE LATEST FEATURES AND ANALYSIS FROM 90MIN
