Barcelona seem like they certainly mean business this summer, as the Spanish giants look like they’re building a squad to win yet another treble this year.
Barca have been very active in the transfer market already this summer, with the Blaugrana bringing in stars like Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie De Jong.
Ernesto Valverde’s side have spent a whopping €195M on deals to bring both Griezmann and De Jong to the club this summer, with the Frenchman setting them back €120M as per BBC, and the former Ajax man costing them €75M as per BBC again.
With their roster already boasting stars such as Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Gerard Pique, the Blaugrana can now claim to have one of the best and most complete squads in world football.
So, following the arrivals of both Griezmann and De Jong this summer, we’ve looked as how the Catalan side could line-up next season, as they look to reclaim the Champions League title, and retain their La Liga title, once again.
Goalkeeper/Defence
Despite signing Brazilian shot-stopper Neto from Valencia this summer, we’d be truly shocked to see anyone other than Marc-Andre Ter Stegen being Barca’s no.1 goalkeeper for the season ahead, especially when you consider that the German is one of the best in the world in his position.
With no additions to their defence just yet, we can expect to see Barcelona line-up with the defence they deployed for a large part of last season.
Jordi Alba will look to continue the brilliant form he displayed last campaign at left back, with both Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet starting in the heart of their defence.
Some would argue that Samuel Umtiti should be starting over Lenglet, however given how good the former Sevilla man was last year, we can’t see Umtiti reclaiming his place in the club’s starting XI just yet.
Both Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo shared Barca’s right-back position last year, with Valverde constantly alternating between the two throughout the season.
However, given the fact that Semedo is an out-and-out right back, and that Roberto can be used to cover midfield players when they get injured, we should expect to see Semedo cement his place as Barca’s right-back for the next 12 months or so.
Midfield
Given the fact that the club have just forked out €75M on him, we can definitely expect to see De Jong play a major role in Barca’s midfield this year.
The Dutch international proved last season with Ajax that he’s easily got what it takes to hold down a place in the club’s starting XI.
We should expect to see Sergio Busquets keep his place in Barca’s starting XI over the next 12 months or so, especially considering the club don’t have any other players like him in their squad.
The Spaniard showed last year that he’s definitely declining physically, however his technical and mental attributes are still as sharp as ever, and it’d be a real shock to see the Blaugrana drop him this year.
The next midfield spot is one that is definitely up for grabs, with all of Arthur Melo, Ivan Rakitic, Philippe Coutinho and Arturo Vidal set to compete for it.
Coutinho had a horrid time at the Nou Camp last year, and should he fail to impress manager Valverde in pre-season, we shouldn’t expect to see him claim a place in Barca’s midfield this year.
At the age of 32, Vidal is certainly getting on a bit, and we can expect him to play a bit-part role this year, much like he did last season, with the Chilean often being used a super-sub to shut-out games when his side are trying to maintain a lead.
Rakitic was absolutely pivotal for Barca last season, as the Croatian maintained a brilliant level of form, helping the club win yet another La Liga title in the process.
However, as noted by Sky Sports, the club are keen to get rid of the player as they look to raise transfers funds, and should things go a certain way, we may see the former Sevilla man leave the Spanish giants before the window closes next month.
That only leaves one man in the form of Brazilian international Arthur Melo, a player who really made a name for himself last year during his first season at the club.
The former Gremio man showed elements of Xavi in his play, something that lead to a number of fans claiming they’ve finally found their long-awaited replacement for the club legend.
A midfield three of Arthur, De Jong and Busquets will surely strike fear into almost any opponent, and is one that will certainly give Barca fans confidence in their side ahead of what looks set to be an exciting 12 months.
Attack
Lionel Messi shouldn’t have any worries about losing his place in Barca’s starting XI simply because he’s Lionel Messi.
Ousmane Dembele showed in glimpses last year that he’s got the potential to become a world-beater in the near future, and given the torrid time Coutinho endured last campaign, it would be a surprise to see the Brazilian claim a staring place over Dembele this season.
And finally, to wrap up Barca’s attack, new signing Griezmann looks to be the one who’s going to be trusted with leading the line for Valverde’s side this year.
Luis Suarez was decent for the Blaugrana last year, getting 21 La Liga goals, however he looked a shadow of his former self throughout the campaign.
And, when you combine this with the fact that the Uruguayan has heavily declined in recent seasons, seeing anyone other than Griezmann start as the club’s main striker next year will be a big shock.
