How should Barcelona lineup next season?

After a poor season, in which they lost LaLiga to Real Madrid, were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the quarters and humiliated by Bayern in the UCL, Barcelona are in need of a massive rebuild if they are to compete again.

(A thread)

A lot of what Barcelona will do will naturally revolve around what happens with Leo Messi. Will he stay or leave? If he stays, where will he play? In this thread I will assume he stays and consider 3 options- False 9, Number 10 and Right Wing.

Regardless of the system, Barca’s weaknesses are fairly constant. A high average age, a one dimensional squad which lacks dynamism, and is too over reliant on Messi’s brilliance. For me, there are three key positions to remedy this- Right Back, Central Midfield, Striker/Winger

Right Back:

Semedo and Roberto are, at best, functional. Barca need someone with the speed and engine to dominate the right flank, providing a threat from wide areas, allowing Messi to stay central, while also being capable on the ball and solid defensively.

Marquee signing: Sergiño Dest

He dreams of Barca, and would be superb for Barca. Blisteringly quick, superb on the ball, defensively solid. Capable of providing threat from both the wing and when coming infield, he would add another dimension to Barca’s attacking play.

Realistic signing: Emerson

Barcelona already have part ownership of him, and retain an option to buy him for €6m in 2021. However, given his performances this season and Barcelona’s need for a RB, it may be worth paying some compensation to have him a year early.

Gamble signing: Max Aarons

A shining light for a poor Norwich City team this season, Aarons has shown potential to be one of the best RBs around. His game may need refining and he may need time to develop but he could prove to be a bargain if he reaches his massive ceiling.

Honourable mentions:

Youcef Atal
Diogo Dalot
Kevin Mbabu

Central Midfield:

Depending on the system, Barca would be wise to invest in central midfield this summer. They need to add a player comfortable with receiving the ball in any third, particularly the final third, making Barcelona better at progressing the ball up the pitch.

Marquee signing: Houssem Aouar

Rightfully coveted by Europe’s elite, Aouar has thrived in Lyon’s recent UCL run. Combining his incredible ability on the ball, with his engine and competent defensive ability makes him one of the most complete talents around. The sky is the limit.

Realistic signing: Donny van de Beek

While he has refined his all round game this season, his standout ability remains his ability to create space for himself and others, and use it to create goal scoring opportunities. Ajax have confirmed his availability this summer.

Gamble signing: Dominik Szoboszlai

The Hungarian has had an excellent season at RB Salzburg. Combining excellent technique and set piece threat with a direct style, he would add something different to Barca’s midfield. The next great product from the Red Bull conveyor belt?

Honourable mentions:

Fabián Ruiz
Lorenzo Pellegrini
Christopher Nkuku

Striker/Winger:
Probably the most important position to add dynamism. Alba has proven that Messi thrives off of willing runners. An attacker with the ability to linkup play but who loves getting in behind would thrive in this team.

Marquee signing: Heung-Min Son

A selfless runner without the ball, a comfortable finisher with both feet, and the right age profile to provide an impact without blocking the youth breaking through. Only stumbling block could be Daniel Levy’s tough negotiating style.

Realistic signing: Donyell Malen

Malen just about edges out compatriot Myron Boadu due to his more rounded ability. He is remarkably quick, loves to run the channels in behind, and is also capable of dropping off to link play. His versatility is also a massive benefit long term.

Gamble signing: Milot Rashica

Werner would’ve been perfect for this role, so why not sign his touted replacement? Devastating on the counter attack, always willing to shoot, and excellent at winning fouls, he has been Werder Bremen’s talisman. A good, cheap, low risk stopgap.

Honourable mentions:

Richarlison
Marcus Thuram

Here are a few ideas of how they could lineup given the aforementioned systems and players:

Of course, this is all also dependent on whether Barcelona can shift their expensive deadwood, such as Griezmann and Coutinho. Perhaps, if they could use them intelligently in swap deals (e.g. Son/Griezmann), they will be back challenging sooner than expected.

In my opinion, the best system is with Messi RW, very closely followed by AM, and then false 9 coming last. Note that the players are interchangeable (e.g. Emerson in the 4231 can be switched with Dest, Atal, etc.)

Of course a lot more work needs to be done on and off the pitch, but these teams are capable of competing now, while also being a massive step in the direction for Barca- bringing the average age down and balancing the team.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Likes and comments are always appreciated. Please do give your opinions :)