How Can Luis Enrique Improve His Barcelona Squad Without Spending Any Money?

Depending on what the Court of Arbitration for Sport has to say about Barcelona's current transfer ban, Luis Enrique may not be able to spend any money when the January transfer window opens.

Clubs in Spain don't tend to use the window much anyway—not as much as Premier League sides tend to—but even if the Asturian manager wanted to bring in any new recruits, if the ban is upheld he will not be able to.

In fact, if FIFA's punishment stands, Barcelona won't be able to sign any players until January 2016.

So Enrique might have to concoct various ways to improve his squad without spending any money.

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The obvious port of call is the youth academy that has served Barcelona so well over the years.

Several of the current team have been through La Masia; the likes of Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets are all home-grown veterans in this team, while Rafinha Alcantara and Munir El Haddadi are the latest youngsters who look like they are ready to establish themselves in the first-team squad permanently.

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So Enrique could bring through the next batch of youngsters. With every passing game that Sergi Samper plays, he looks more and more the natural successor to Busquets.

Samper has been attracting suitors, with Sport reporting that he may be used as a makeweight to bring back Denis Suarez from his Sevilla loan.

The Spanish newspaper's journalist Jordi Gil writes:

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Suarez has exploded onto the scene as the best newcomer this season and if the club cannot sign players because of their FIFA ban, they may look to get Suarez back. Relations between Sevilla and Barcelona are excellent and they may both work to find a useful solution - including loaning Samper to the Andalusian side.

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The more that players like Samper, Munir and Rafinha play in the first team, the more comfortable they will be, the faster they will grow and the better they will get.

Bringing back Suarez and Gerard Deulofeu from Sevilla would also be another way to "sign" players without breaking the FIFA ban. 

Adama Traore is another one of the brightest young talents at the club. He scored his first Barcelona goal in the Copa del Rey against Huesca recently.

If Enrique needs something different in the attack and can't bring in players in the transfer window, then he should turn to Adama.

Nobody is claiming that this youngster is ready for intense first-team action week in, week out, but there's no doubt that he has something that perhaps only Neymar, from Enrique's existing options, can provide.

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Adama has a vicious, direct, running style and the ability to unbalance opposition defences with pace and power.

Obviously Lionel Messi can do something like this too, but it's usually with cunning movement and quick thinking.

Against the likes of Getafe and Malaga, two teams Barcelona shared 0-0 draws with this season, Adama may have been able to offer a different way of breaching the defence.

If the keys can't undo the lock then perhaps sometimes Barcelona just need to kick down the door.

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Elsewhere, Enrique could improve the team by finally getting Thomas Vermaelen back from his injury, which admittedly is easier said than done.

He should also settle on his first team and stop shuffling the pack so much. If Claudio Bravo has the same four defenders playing in front of him each week, the defence will become more solid.

Even if Barcelona can't sign players next year, it's clear that there are still some ways Enrique can improve his squad.