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RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: COMMENTS BY BARCELONA COACH RONALD KOEMAN, BARCA SQUAD TRAINING

SHOWS: BARCELONA, SPAIN (JANUARY 8, 2021) (BARCA TV - MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO)

1. BARCELONA COACH RONALD KOEMAN AND MIDFIELDER SERGIO BUSQUETS ARRIVING AT TRAINING SESSION

2. BARCA PLAYERS ARRIVING AT TRAINING SESSION

3. FORWARD LIONEL MESSI AND FULL BACK JORDI ALBA ARRIVING AT TRAINING SESSION

4. KOEMAN TALKING TO BARCA SQUAD

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING:

"It is important for this season (to sign new players) because we want to improve the squad. I still think that we need to increase competition for places, we need to be more effective so there are a number of reasons to try to sign (new players). This is my opinion, this is how I think but I do understand the club's situation and if it is not possible we will keep going with the same intensity and ideas and wait till next season."

6. MESSI TRAINING

7. BARCA PLAYERS TRAINING

8. FORWARD ANTOINE GRIEZMANN TALKING TO FORWARD OUSMANE DEMBELE AND TRAINING

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING:

"We have to recover and show the rest that we still can do it (win the league), in my opinion that is the most important thing. First we have to prove to our selves and then the rest. We are not in a situation in which we can afford to lose, we have dropped points where we should not drop points and we lost in a bad way. There's a lot of pressure for players and the team, we know we can't lose any more games."

10. BARCA PLAYERS

11. DEFENDER CLEMENT LENGLET AT SESSION

12. MESSI TRAINING

13. GRIEZMANN TRAINING

14. VARIOUS OF GOALKEEPER MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN TRAINING

15. MIDFIELDER PEDRI TRAINING

16. MESSI TRAINING

17. MIDFIELDER FRENKIE DE JONG TRAINING

18. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TRAINING

STORY: Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said on Friday (January 8) he is keen to make signings in the January transfer window but said that hinges on who is elected as the club's new president.

Barca will hold elections on January 24 following Josep Maria Bartomeu's resignation last year but the lack of a permanent board means they are presently unable to trade in the transfer market, something Koeman hopes to do at the end of the month.

"It is important for this season (to sign new players) because we want to improve the squad. I still think that we need to increase competition for places," the Dutchman told a news conference ahead of Saturday's (January 8) La Liga meeting at Granada.

Koeman will be without long-term absentees Ansu Fati, Gerard Pique, Philippe Coutinho and Sergi Roberto for the trip to Andalusia, while centre-back Clement Lenglet is suspended.

He acknowledged that the seven-point gap behind league leaders Atletico Madrid, who have two games in hand, means third-placed Barca can ill-afford any more slip-ups.

They will be aiming for their third straight La Liga win after beating bottom side Huesca 1-0 and Athletic Bilbao 3-2.

"We have to recover and show the rest that we still can do it (win the league), in my opinion that is the most important thing," added Koeman.

"There's a lot of pressure for players and the team, we know we can't lose any more games," the Barca coach said.

(Production: Silvio Castellanos)