Ibrahim Afellay, first winter signing Guardiola

Ibrahim Afellay has become the first winter signing the Guardiola era after the FC Barcelona has agreed to transfer to PSV Eindhoven for three million euros. The Rif Dutch descent had contract in June as PSV put on the market, at least, get some money for him. As Gabriel told us in the last month had left several girlfriends in different corners of the geography of Europe but has been the club that has taken the upper hand.

This is the first time that the club goes to the winter market since 2007. If we visit back and recapitulate, we see that Barca have not rife much the signings of December. Coco, Sorin, Maxi Lopez and Albertini are among the winter acquisitions that failed to materialize. On the other side of the balance we have to Pinto, who arrived in 2007-08 and has remained as the second goalie ever since, and Davis, a key player for the project Rijkaard having been only six months in Barcelona. PSV Eindhoven FC Barcelona have reached some players who have been instrumental in Barça's recent history, two men who became team captains, as Koeman and Cocu, and two great strikers such as Romario and Ronaldo.

Afellay (24 years) began his career playing as man band, almost extreme, like his compatriot Arjen Robben, but over the years has been slowing down and focusing its position to become a midfielder who can operate both inside and wheel. Thus, a priori the signing of Dutch would reinforce the positions of Xavi, Iniesta and Keita, but the Blaugrana technical team has to adapt to playing a false end, as Iniesta has done so many times in either bands; Afellay may act on the two profiles, has a high speed, has a great ability to focus and good shot from distance. In fact, the little ledge that has the technical secretariat of the signing is that Afellay is "a player profile that is not in the pit," so "does not come to plug the progression of any promise."

Who or who may be affected by the arrival of Afellay? If Peter ends up playing in band should not fear for his job, and that at this stage has a background that provides a certain advantage over others, but that it could be more disadvantaged is Bojan, who is playing more than Nine Eleven. Not to mention Nolito, which began to poke his head into the first team. If at the end of the Utrecht acts more like driving, taking into account that Xavi and Iniesta are untouchable and Keita responds to another profile, the main victim could be Thiago Alcantara. In this case, well you have to do Afellay for the writer did not put the fuss.

Photo | Paulblank
In NDF | Afellay, the jewel of the market