Ernesto Valverde admits he “hopes” Barcelona are busy in the final week of the transfer window.
Valverde watched Barca battle to another 2-0 win on Saturday at Alaves, and the Coach made it clear he wanted “a more competitive squad” once the market closed for the summer.
“It was very difficult for us and we needed a lot of patience,” he said after the game.
“They were very tightly-packed, they closed all the channels and it was difficult to reach their area.
“It may have looked like we were close to scoring, but it was hard for us. It was a matter of maturing and continuing to push. With the goal, it became a bit easier.
“It was a difficult test for us, their fans put up a lot of atmosphere. We overcame the moments of difficulty and we have six points. We also did it last week.
“Our game allows Messi to take off and we have players going outside. We’ll see where it takes us. We know Leo’s tendency to look for gaps.
“We can always improve, but we have to understand that when our opponent play so deep and there are 18 players cramped together, sometimes it’s difficult to pull out something.
“Overall, we’re happy. The possession that counts is the one that leads to chances.
“We want to have the ball and give little to our rivals, that’s our idea.
“We hope to have a more competitive squad once the transfer window shuts. I’ll work with the players we have, but we want to have a better team and we’re open to possibilities.
“Our attackers? Each of them have their own profile. If [Gerard] Deulo and Aleix [Vidal] play, they’ll always look to get into space.
“They’re wingers, no? Alcacer, although he plays in the side, will always make us more diagonal. And Denis [Suarez] isn’t a pure winger, he’s a player more for the inside.
“Each of them play in accordance with their own characteristics.”
