Barcelona FC -n-e-e-d- a few good signings this summer
Barcelona surely didn't have a good season according to their own standards and one of the main reasons might have been the host of bad signings.
So it's crucial for them to strengthen their squad this summer unless they want to stay in Real's shadow until their new stadium is built. So let's look at what they need.
Defense
One of the positions in defense that Barcelona is struggled with last season was right back. Sergi Roberto did a decent job at times, but he was nothing like Dani Alves who really dominated the flank for them and allowed Messi the freedom he needed both by doing the defensive work and by combining well with him. If Barcelona are going to charge for both La Liga and the Champions League in the 2017/2018 season, they are going to need a much better option for that position. They have signed Semedo from Benfica, but they might be in need for an even better player in that position for them to be on the top of their game.
They also might need another good center back. Pique did not have his best season and while other options they might have might be decent, I feel they need at least another really solid option. Vermaelen who is back from his loan at Roma might be an option, but the problem is the same - to compete at the highest level possible, you need the best players in the world and Vermaelen is certainly not a world beater. The 4-0 and 3-0 losses to PSG and Juventus respectively in the Champions League shows the club needs improvement in defense.
Midfield
Barcelona is a club with traditions and with a certain style of play heavily associated with the club itself. And the quality in midfield is crucial and it's the sink or swim part of the team. Barce still have some quality in their squad but after a mediocre season for Busquets and with Rakitic and Iniesta aging, their possible replacements haven't shown the quality needed for competing at the top level and keeping Barcelona the giant that we all expect it to be. Andre Gomes turned out to be a flop and Arda Turan hasn't managed to have the impact expected. Rafinha seems to play well when he's fit, but the Catalan midfield certainly requires more reinforcements. Marco Verratti is certainly an option they should be going for as Samper, Denis Suarez and Alena are unlikely to develop the quality needed anytime soon. If it was up to me, Barca would be in the market for both Verratti and another quality midfielder and that should certainly not be Paulinho from China.
Attack
While MSN trio is certainly deadly, they need proper squad players to back them up so they can be rested often enough for their consistency to remain high throughout the whole campaign. While Deulofeu might be a decent option, I personally doubt that Munir is proper Barce material much like Alcacer as they are both significant downgrades on the starting three in attack. If the Catalan are going to have a great season, they need squad depth in attack too and I personally think they should be trying to get a future superstar like M'bape into the fold if they want to stay relevant.
So will they have a good season in 2017/2018
They are probably going to have a decent season but I don't see them winning neither La Liga, nor the Champions League and those are the trophies Barca should be competing for - the Copa Del Rey can be viewed only as consolation. Despite the fact that the squad doesn't seem to be as strong as it was a few seasons ago, the team is still top class and they might be refraining from spending too much while their new stadium is under construction.
This means that they might have accepted that in this period they will second best in Spain and will charge for the top only after they have the financial freedom to do so supplied by their increased revenue from their new ground (and not having to pay for it anymore). If this is going to be the case, I think Barca should stop with the signing of mediocre players which is still wasting millions on transfer fees and look to their youth system for mediocre options instead of spending a ton on the next Andre Gomes.