Planning for the next season is already underway at FC Barcelona, and the Catalans have their work cut out for them.
While it is still not very clear who will replace Xavi on the Barcelona bench for the next season, or whether Xavi will go back on his word and keep managing the club, Deco and his staff are already working to ensure the Catalans have a balanced squad for the next season.
This season, the defensive line had been one of the most unbalanced parts of the Barcelona team, with all the absences of required players in the flanks and overbooking of central defenders.
According to SPORT, this is one of the areas that will undergo the most significant change in the coming summer transfer window.
The flanks have been a source of problems for Xavi this season, as he has been forced to play players like Joao Cancelo and Hector Fort to compensate for the injured Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso on the left flank, while having to play a central defender, Jules Kounde, on the right flank.
To mitigate this problem, Barcelona can call back Julian Araujo, who is playing currently on loan at Las Palmas, while Alex Valle, who is also out on loan, can also be an option for the left-back position.
The Catalans will also have to undertake the difficult negotiations with Manchester City for Joao Cancelo, while Sergino Dest is expected to remain with PSV Eindhoven.
The central defensive positions will require the most work from the Barcelona sporting department. Jules Kounde has been playing on the flank, while Christensen has been playing in the midfield, while both are most comfortable as center-backs.
The rise of Pau Cubarsi forces Barcelona to make changes in Xavi’s starting lineup, and Ronald Araujo is also an indisputable starter. Thus, Inigo Martinez and Marcos Alonso are the two players with their positions most in danger at Barcelona, while the futures of Eric Garcia and Clement Lenglet will also have to be resolved.
