Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane players on FC Barcelona shortlist for summer transfer window.
FC Barcelona some rebuilding to do this summer, with goalkeeper Victor Valdes and centre back Carles Puyol already having confirmed they will exit Camp Nou at the end of the season.
Manager Tata Martino will certainly have to replace two of his key men, as well as bring in any other players he feels will strengthen the team.
Spanish publication El Mundo Deportivo claim to have unearthed Barca’s transfer shortlist, which features the below names:
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Borussia Monchengladbach)
21 year-old Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper may have made a few high profile gaffes recently, but the Germany international is a hugely promising shot-stopper and could be a fantastic replacement for Victor Valdes over the next decade or more.
David Luiz (Chelsea)
Chelsea star David Luiz has been linked with for FC Barcelona for the last two years, but this season the rumour has gained momentum due to a lack of first team action at Stamford Bridge.
While occasionally lackadaisical on the pitch, when Luiz plays to his potential he rivals the top centre backs in the world, with his mixture of defensive grit with technique a perfect blend.
Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao)
19 year-old French defender Aymeric Laporte is arguably the most exciting young defender in the game, with his performances at the back for Athletic Bilbao showcasing a maturity beyond his years.
Laporte signed a new deal at San Mames in December, and though his release clause amounts to €36 million, it could prove a sound long term investment.
Inigo Martinez (Real Sociedad)
22 year-old centre back Inigo Martinez is one of the great hopes of Spanish football, with his solid matches for Real Sociedad last season crucial in helping the team reach the UEFA Champions League this term.
Martinez has continued to deliver consistently good performances in the current campaign, and knows La Liga well.
Mats Hummels
Borussia Dortmund have struggled to keep their best players in recent seasons, with Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski joining arch rivals Bayern Munich and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan still in deadlock over his contract and threatening to leave Signal Iduna Park.
Hummels has proven one of the best centre halves in the game over the last few campaigns, both in the Bundesliga and at international level for Germany, and last summer a poll amongst Barca fans in Spanish sports newspaper Marca saw the 25 year-old voted the number one player they would like to see move to Camp Nou.
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham Hotspur centre back Jan Vertonghen has been an excellent acquisition at White Hart Lane, but has hinted that he could move on if Spurs fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League at the end of the season.
“Those are always difficult questions,” Vertonghen told the Evening Standard when asked if he was planning to stay even if the club missed out on the top four.
“What I want is to be playing in the Champions League with Tottenham, so I hope we get in this year.
“Do I have a decision to make if we don’t? I can’t say anything about that. Let’s see after the end of the season, after the World Cup.”
Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal)
Villarreal centre back Mateo Musacchio is from Rosario in Argentina – like both FC Barcelona coach Tata Martino and star player Lionel Messi.
The 23 year-old has improved steadily each season since moving to Spain in 2009.
Fabian Schar (FC Basel)
It seems amazing that only two years ago FC Basel defender Fabian Schar was balancing his time as a footballer with a position as an intern at a bank in Switzerland, but the 22 year-old could not be assured of a successful career in the sport.
After a meteoric rise since though, he is one of the most highly rated players outside Europe’s top five divisions, and it seems only a matter of time before his development continues at a bigger club.
Federico Fazio (Sevilla)
Federico Fazio signed a new deal with Sevilla until 2018 earlier this season, but his minimum fee release clause has been downgraded to a more affordable €30 million, which ought to be within reach of FC Barcelona’s budget.
The 195 cm (approximately 6’5″) centre back would offer Tata Martino something different at the back, and could be a threat at set pieces, but his lack of speed could prove worrisome given Barca’s preference for a high defensive line.
Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Fiorentina)
Fiorentina winger Juan Guillermo Cuadrado is one of the best dribblers in Europe, and his technical play and deceptive trickery on the ball has eight goals and six assists this season.
The 25 year-old could rival Alexis Sanchez or Pedro Rodriguez for a place on the right of Barca’s front three, or – given his impressive displays at wing back throughout his career – prove an attacking replacement for Dani Alves.
Juan Camilo Zuniga (SSC Napoli)
Napoli star Juan Camilo Zuniga typically plays as left back, but can also play further upfield.
The speedy Colombian is 28 years old though, and were Barca to sign him he would not likely have much of a re-sale value if it did not work out at Camp Nou.
Arturo Vidal (Juventus)
Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal is one of the best midfielders in the world.
He is Juventus’ top scorer in all competitions, with seventeen goals this season, and has provided the fourth most assists for the Turin club too.
He is also an immense tackler, and drives his team on with powerful box to box play.
Although he would not be a natural fit for FC Barcelona’s famous tiki-taka system, Arturo Vidal would arguably improve any team in the world.
Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund)
As previously mentioned, Ilkay Gundogan is involved in a contract standoff with Borussia Dortmund, with his deal set to expire in 2015, and his intelligent passing and ability to play a number of roles in central midfield could make him a fine choice for FC Barcelona.
There are question marks over his fitness though, with a spinal compression injury preventing the German from having played since August.
Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich)
Despite not being a brilliant dribbler nor exceptional passer, Thomas Mueller is one of the most effective players in the game thanks to his excellent movement, heading and finishing, and in former Barca boss Pep Guardiola’s ridiculously dominant Bayern Munich side, he has scored ten goals and provided seven assists already this season.
Thanks to the phenomenal depth of the Bavarian side’s squad, Mueller does not play every match.
Franck Ribery, Mario Goetze, Arjen Robben, Xherdan Shaqiri, Toni Kroos and Thiago Alcantara all capable of playing across the attacking midfield line, and FC Barcelona may attempt to entice him away with the promise of regular game time.
Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich)
As Arsenal can attest after their recent UEFA Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich, Toni Kroos is an immensely talented player, but his contract expires in 2015 and negotiations so far have proved unsuccessful.
According to German journalist Raphael Honigstein, Philipp Lahm, Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger all earn €10 million per year in wages, while Franck Ribery earns more still.
Kroos earns a comparatively low €4 million per season, and hopes for parity with the team’s best players as reward for his excellent performances.
Unless his situation is resolved, the door could open for FC Barcelona to swoop.
Bruno Soriano (Villarreal)
Bruno Soriano possesses all the talent to fit into the FC Barcelona midfield, but at the age of 29 there is little argument he could be a long term replacement for either Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta.
Ramires (Chelsea)
Brazilian midfielder Ramires proved the undoing for FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League of 2011-12, with his wonderful lob helping Chelsea knock out the Catalan club in the second leg of their semi final at Camp Nou.
Ramires is a dynamic player and a fine athlete, and his ability to play anywhere across the midfield could prove a boon for Barca.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho remains a big fan though, and it will likely be tough to prise him away from Stamford Bridge.
Koke (Atletico de Madrid)
Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has been a huge part of the club’s resurgence recently, with Diego Simeone’s men making a genuine title challenge against the duopoly of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga.
The 22 year-old has scored five goals and provided 10 assists in La Liga – the second most in the Primera Division behind only Cesc Fabregas, and looks set for a long career at the top.