MX23RW : Saturday, May 18 11:14:22| >> :60:2886:2886:

Xavi: 'Barcelona have signed players who do not fit their system'

Xavi claims that former club Barcelona "have fallen asleep" this summer as they have failed to bring in the right type of players.

Barcelona legend Xavi has criticised his former club's transfer spending, claiming that they have signed players who 'do not fit their system'.

The Catalan club missed out on arguably their top attacking target in Philippe Coutinho, who was denied his dream move to Camp Nou by Liverpool in the latter stages of the window.

Barca did manage to bring in talented wideman Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund, however, while Paulinho, Nelson Semedo and Gerard Deulofeu have also been recruited.

Xavi has questioned the quality of the new signings, though, claiming that only half the current squad is suited to the famed 'Barcelona Way'.

"I was part of an era that was so impressive that it now seems as if it's not the same club," he told Marca. "They play football well, but they could have signed better.

"They have fallen asleep because five or six years ago they had the best players in the world for the Barcelona system. Now they have five or six players for it, in [Andres] Iniesta, [Jordi] Alba, [Lionel] Messi, [Gerard] Pique, Luis Suarez and [Sergio] Busquets.

"Yet Barcelona should have 11 players who fit the system. You never used to say 'this player would fit in well at Barcelona' because all those players were already there. They have signed players who do not fit the system."

Barcelona also waved goodbye to superstar forward Neymar this summer after Paris Saint-Germain triggered his £198m release clause.

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A general view of the stadium prior to the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Celta de Vigo at Camp Nou on November 1, 2014
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CReal Madrid36296183226193
2Barcelona36247574433179
3GironaGirona36236775453075
4Atletico MadridAtletico36234967392873
5Athletic Bilbao361711858372162
6Real Sociedad361512949371257
7Real BetisBetis36141484843556
8Villarreal36149136060051
9Valencia36139143740-348
10Getafe361013134151-1043
11AlavesAlaves36119163445-1142
12Sevilla361011154750-341
13Osasuna36118174054-1441
14Las PalmasLas Palmas36108183246-1438
15Rayo Vallecano36814142944-1538
16Celta Vigo36910174254-1237
17Mallorca36715142941-1236
18CadizCadiz36614162549-2432
RGranada3649233770-3321
RAlmeria36211233572-3717


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