Dani Olmo, a familiar face at Barcelona, returns to the Catalan club after 10 years away.
What can we expect from this signing? Has Barça splashed out a fortune once again in vain? Or could it be that this time, the club has made a shrewd choice?
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Index
Is Dani Olmo Returning to Barcelona?
Yes, you read that right. Don’t remember Dani Olmo wearing the Barcelona shirt?
Frankly, it’s a memory that only a few football lovers might recall, as the attacking midfielder never actually played professionally for the Blaugrana.
He spent a significant portion of his football education at the club, starting at local rivals Espanyol in 2007.
Shortly after, he moved to Barcelona, where he stayed for seven years.
Image: Barça Buzz
In 2014, he transferred to Dinamo Zagreb on a free, where he completed his development and launched his professional career.
During his time with the Croatian side, he made 124 appearances, scored 34 goals, and provided 28 assists.
His impressive seasons caught the attention of Leipzig, who shelled out €34.2 million for him in January 2020.
He continued to perform excellently, despite the significant leap in competition between the Croatian league and the Bundesliga.
At RB Leipzig, he made 148 appearances, scored 29 goals, and provided 34 assists.
While his club performances can be deemed very good, it’s when he dons the Spanish national team’s shirt that he transforms into an exceptional player.
A regular in Spain’s youth setups, he has been called up since the U17 level.
He was part of a highly successful generation, winning the U17 European Championship in 2015, the U21 European Championship in 2019, and becoming an Olympic finalist in 2021.
His consistent performances at RB Leipzig earned him a call-up to the senior national team.
Even though he often comes off the bench, he has a commendable average of nearly one goal every 3.5 matches, having netted 11 goals in 39 appearances.
Not only are the numbers positive, but when placed in context, they highlight the importance of many of his goals.
He was instrumental in Spain’s Nations League victory in 2022/23.
In the last Euros, he was the tournament’s top scorer, with all three of his goals coming in the knockout stages.
In the round of 16, he scored against Georgia. In the quarter-finals, he scored and provided an assist against Germany. In the semi-finals, he found the net against France.
This underscores the absolutely decisive nature of the player.
Moreover, he is tactically disciplined, capable of fulfilling the role assigned to him.
He is intelligent, knows how to position himself on the pitch, and generally makes the best decisions.
This is one of the reasons why he has 51 assists as a professional.
For many, he is considered a highly underrated player, which is true. Nowadays, players are often sold for astronomical fees without necessarily having produced much on the pitch.
Again, not focusing solely on the numbers but on the player’s ability to be decisive in challenging moments, especially when wearing the shirt of a traditional team like Spain.
Image: RFEF
A Good Move for Barça, or Another Flop?
As mentioned, Dani Olmo is an underrated player.
For the first time in a while, Barcelona has made a truly well-thought-out signing.
Although it’s a paradox to develop a top-notch player from the national team’s youth ranks over seven years and then lose him to a Croatian club for free, Dani Olmo is fully acquainted with the club’s culture.
This is often a problem for many signings.
Moreover, he has already shown he can handle pressure, especially when wearing the Spanish national team shirt.
The fee, although substantial, is justifiable. According to current market practices, where we’ve seen Solanke sold from Bournemouth to Tottenham for €64.3 million, having scored more than half of his career goals in the Championship.
Moreover, since Messi left Barcelona, managers have struggled to find a player capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, someone who can play between the lines, provide assists, and finish.
Therefore, Dani Olmo is an excellent alternative and one of the most sensible decisions made by the Catalans in recent times, with everything in place for it to work out.
Image: FCBarcelona
Written by Vitor F L Miller.
