Barcelona’s Midlands Pre-Season Tells Us More About Their 2025/26 Squad Than You’d Think

Barcelona are in the Midlands. Not New York, not Tokyo, not Los Angeles. Staffordshire. It sounds odd at first, but once you understand the context, it actually makes a lot of sense, and it tells us some interesting things about how Hansi Flick is approaching the new season.

Why the Midlands Makes Sense for Barca

The World Cup has completely disrupted pre-season planning for elite clubs this summer. Barcelona were hit harder than most. Eight of their first-team regulars are on post-tournament breaks following Spain's triumph, including Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi and Dani Olmo. Add in Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo and new signing Anthony Gordon, and you're suddenly looking at a squad missing its best players.

A high-profile tour of the United States with a B-team wouldn't have gone down well commercially or footballing-wise. So instead, Flick brought a mixed squad to St George's Park in Staffordshire, a world-class facility that Barcelona have used before, back in 2014 just before they won the Treble, and again in 2016. It's familiar ground, and it gives them the privacy and quality infrastructure they need without the circus of a major commercial tour.

The friendlies are low-key but deliberate. A game against Birmingham City at St Andrew's on Friday, and a behind-closed-doors match against Preston at St George's Park on Monday. Championship opposition gives Flick's fringe players a proper physical test without the pressure of a marquee occasion.

The Players to Actually Pay Attention To

This is where it gets interesting from a football perspective. The squad Flick has brought to England is a fascinating mix of senior names, Barcelona B players and teenagers. And a couple of the inclusions raise genuine questions.

Frenkie de Jong is in the group despite suffering a medial collateral ligament injury to his right knee at the World Cup. That kind of damage typically means months on the sideline. His presence in England doesn't necessarily mean he's playing, but it does suggest Barcelona are keen to keep him involved in the environment rather than leaving him behind to recover in isolation. Whether that's a fitness management call or a signal that his timeline is better than feared, we'll find out soon enough.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the other eyebrow-raising name. The German goalkeeper has been widely expected to join Ajax on loan this summer, but no deal has gone through. So here he is, training in Staffordshire, and he could actually face Birmingham on Friday. If he plays well, does that complicate the Ajax move? Or is this just Barca keeping him sharp until the paperwork is signed? It's a subplot worth watching.

New signing Karim Adeyemi is also in the squad after his move from Borussia Dortmund. Pre-season is where you get your first real look at how a new player fits the system, and Flick will be keen to work with him directly. Adeyemi brings pace and directness to an attack that already has plenty of quality. Getting him bedded in early, even without the Spain contingent around him, is smart.

What This Means for Their Season Opener

By the time La Liga kicks off, Barcelona should have most of their squad back from their World Cup breaks. The timing of this UK camp is calculated. Flick is using these weeks to work with the players who weren't at the tournament, integrating young talent from the B team and the under-19s, and getting his deeper squad options properly assessed.

Young forward Orian Goren, who only turned 17 in March, is part of this group. That's a real marker of trust from Flick in youth. Barcelona's academy pipeline has always been celebrated, and there's clearly an appetite to fast-track promising players if they're ready.

From a football standpoint, the message from this pre-season is clear. Flick is building a squad culture, not just a starting eleven. He wants depth, versatility and competitive pressure for places. The players auditioning in Birmingham and Preston this week know that performances here can absolutely affect their status come September.

Barcelona arrive as La Liga champions and genuine favourites to challenge in the Champions League next season. The Midlands might seem like an unlikely base for a club of their stature, but this pre-season camp is quietly telling us a lot about how seriously they're approaching what comes next.