The surprise signing that Messi asks Barça for January

The Argentine star has very clear the priorities of Barça de Valverde

The surprise signing that Messi asks Barça for January
The  Classic  was the icing on the cake. A game of scandal - despite being on the ropes in the first half for many minutes - to bid farewell to the year by all stops. No one would have imagined that  Barça would  end so well after the fatal start of the course that was forged in the Spanish Super Cup .

Ernesto Valverde  has done his homework. Without discussion. And he has achieved something even more important: an almost perfect tuning with  Leo  Messi. The complicity between the two is total.

Far away is that tight relationship that the crack lived with  Luis Enrique Martinez .  The costumes were suffocated by the intransigent methods of the Asturian coach.

Now, the template is an oil balm. Everyone is happy and more focused than ever on doing their job well. They know that the  Txingurri  works from logic. And they value it very much.

Luis  Enrique's experiments   ended. André Gomes  no longer plays everything, but maintains the opportunities to earn a place. It will depend on its performance, but it has it raw: Paulinho has completely eaten the toast. The Brazilian has won over Barcelona.

After a  brutal  League start  -45  points out  of 48  possible,  14 wins, three draws, no losses, 45 goals in favor, seven against, nine points more than the second and  14  points  more than  Madrid,  with one game less -, all that remains is to prop up the team for the decisive stage.

World Mission on track

Things have been done very well, to Messi's taste  :  his goal was to close the  league  as soon as possible to rest in the second stage in preparation for the  World Cup.

However, the challenge of the  Champions  will be very hard and the Blaugrana need to make adjustments in the template. It is decided to close a transfer in the winter market.

And the chosen one is a central level. Probably, the one wanted by  Valverde,  Iñigo Martínez , who was already close to closing in summer.

The cost of its termination clause is  32  million  euros and would reach  Barça  to supply  Javier  Mascherano,  who is going to  China  at the end of January. President  Josep  Maria  Bartomeu  has already taken note:  Barça  needs four top centers.

Valverde  also valued the option of hiring  Aymeric  Laporte  but has ruled it out because he does not want to hurt his old club, which is quite weak this season. In addition, the Athletic centrals   are in a delicate situation due to testicular cancer that Yeray suffered  .