FC Barcelona Femení rarely find themselves in the position they are in. Certainly not when transfers are concerned. So why is it that a lot of moves depend on Keira Walsh? Let’s go through some of the reasons.
This article is written in collaboration with Hans Mickey.
When rumors that England international Keira Walsh was looking for a way out were first floated, the reaction was generally what you would expect. Key member of the Barça midfield, and an essential ingredient in the style of play. Most felt like it had come out of nowhere. Now, it is almost common knowledge that Walsh is very much leaning out. Here are the reasons she is a big factor in the equation.
Financials.
Keira Walsh is one of the highest-paid players on the team, and recalculating salary spending can affect plans for both renewals and signings. In addition, if Barça was to sell her, it would command a high transfer fee, again opening up other spending discussions.
Squad spots.
Teams in Liga F can only register 25 first team players, and any others i.e. called up from the B team, can only make limited appearances. Barça wants to preserve a balance of high-profile players and developing La Masia talents in the league. With the current squad, it’s hard to commit to a big signing without a big departure.
To top it off, Walsh, as far as is known fills a foreign and non-EU spot on the squad, and it might be easier to bring someone else into the first team with another foreign spot, or to continue exploring other options, for example Ovalle from Mexico.
Team structure.
Walsh is a unique player – if she is Busquets, Patri really is more like Iniesta – and the club would have to decide whether to bring in a stop-gap replacement option or whether to modify the way the club has been functioning for the last few years to something that would either not require a player like Walsh or not one of the same level.
For a stop gap, Maria Perez would have been the natural choice to step up, but left in summer, and there is a slight gap in terms of age and development with other La Masia options coming through.
Schertenleib has been tested in the role, but could not regularly start by next season, and on the other hand, Pere Romeu does not much prefer Engen as a single pivot. This could also explain why Barça would look into the possibility of Korbin Albert joining.
Experience.
Walsh is incredibly valuable to Barça in terms of the champions league. The club might want to explore options for players who have played at the top level in other european leagues in order to have something like this. Continuing European dominance is another reason why Barça Femení has started considering more signings from abroad again, but do not want to make the same mistakes as with the 2017 cohort.
