Barcelona are reportedly planning quite the spending spree in the upcoming transfer windows, as they continue to build their squad for the future.
Key individuals right across the team are approaching or are already on the wrong side of 30, namely Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Javier Mascherano, Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.
That’s not to say that these world-class individuals can’t still offer plenty to the Catalan giants, but a cycle will end and the club must take action now to ensure that the pieces are in place to open a new one to continue to enjoy success at the highest level.
The signings of Nelson Semedo and Ousmane Dembele continued that strategy this past summer, but much more will be needed in the upcoming 12 months or so, and it appears as though the club are already getting their plans in order.
According to Sport, Philippe Coutinho, Yerry Mina, Leon Goretzka and Jean Michael Seri form a four-man transfer shortlist with January moves eyed, although Barcelona could be forced to wait until the summer in some scenarios.
That applies to Goretzka in particular, as his contract with Schalke is set to expire at the end of the season, and so Barca could look to wait until the summer before snapping him up on a free transfer.
What the quartet have in common which stands out in particular, is the fact that they’re all aged 26 and under. Provided Barca are able to tie up agreements for them, they would seemingly be considered the future building blocks of the squad.
It’s an ambitious project, but it’s certainly a sensible one. Other European giants have struggled over the years to rebuild their squads and maintain their high standards, Barcelona appear to believe that they’ve got the players in mind to ensure it doesn’t happen to them.