MX23RW : Wednesday, May 29 08:42:13| >> :120:34746:34746:

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
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2Barcelona38267579443585
3GironaGirona38256785463981
4Atletico MadridAtletico382441070432776
5Athletic Bilbao381911861372468
6Real Sociedad3816121051391260
7Real BetisBetis38141594845357
8Villarreal381411136565053
9Valencia381310154045-549
10AlavesAlaves381210163646-1046
11Osasuna38129174556-1145
12Getafe381013154254-1243
13Celta Vigo381011174657-1141
14Sevilla381011174854-641
15Mallorca38816143344-1140
16Las PalmasLas Palmas381010183347-1440
17Rayo Vallecano38814162948-1938
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RAlmeria38312234375-3221
RGranada3849253879-4121


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