The arrival of a new head coach from another usually entails the addition of a player or two from his previous club. In the case of Barcelona and their new link with Newell’s Old Boys, it might be Argentine centre back Santiago Vergini.
The appointment of Gerardo Martino caught everyone by surprise, but it might be even more of a stunner to see players from Newell’s, the club Lionel Messi played for during his childhood years, arriving at the Nou Camp, which isn’t usually a very popular link up.
Vergini, 24, has been one of the best young centre backs in Argentina for the last couple of seasons, might be the man Martino brings over in order to solve Barcelona’s defensive problems. Vergini started out with Olimpia in Paraguay (the Copa Libertadores finalists) and spent one season with Hellas Verona in Italy before returning to Argentina and winning the Torneo Final this past season with Newell’s.
At 1.91, he’s obviously excellent with his aerial game, scoring 8 goals for Newell’s since his return to Argentina, but has the ability to play as a fullback if necessary. He has a very powerful right foot, and can surprise some with his long range shooting.
However, is this what Barcelona need? Going only after big names isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, cheaper and more suitable solutions are found if you look for them hard enough, and spending tens of millions on Thiago Silva or David Luiz might A) Be a bad financial decision and B) Not fit what they have going for them in Barcelona, although there’s no denying that the two Brazilians are proven and boast the highest of quality, especially when it comes to Silva and defending while organizing a defensive line.