FC Barcelona continue to aspire for bigger things in the upcoming season, and those aspirations must start with the right planning. For now, as reported by SPORT, the Catalan club’s board has 10 primary objectives to complete over the course of the summer.
01: Register the renewals
The likes of Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto, Marcos Alonso, and Inaki Pena have all put pen to paper and signed their respective renewals with the Catalan club. However, these renewals are yet to be registered with La Liga, and doing so remains the primary focus of the club first and foremost.
02: Renew Alejandro Balde
The thunderous talent of Alejandro Balde will keep on turning heads as he matures, which in turn makes it pivotal for Barcelona to renew him for a much longer stay at the club. Reportedly, an extension until at least 2027 is the idea that the Catalan club is going for with the young Spaniard.
03: Submit a formal offer for Messi:
Submitting a formalized, official offer for Lionel Messi comes next. The Argentine’s return is a massive goal of Joan Laporta’s, who believe it to be both a sporting and symbolic signing for the team moving forward.
As it stands, reports suggest the proposal will involve a two-year deal until 2025 with an option to leave one year into it. Moreover, the proposed gross salary will be around €25 million across two seasons.
04: Make Inigo Martinez’s signing official:
The signing of free agent Inigo Martinez being made official is also an objective for the Catalan board. With his contract set to run out in the summer, FC Barcelona has ensured they acquire the services of the 31-year-old central defender on a great economical package.
05: Sign Ilkay Gundogan:
Despite his high salary demands, Ilkay Gundogan remains a priority for FC Barcelona as well. The German midfielder would bring elite quality as well as proven experience to a developing Catalonian side. As negotiations continue, the player does retain the coach’s complete faith on a sporting level.
06: Define the futures of Raphinha and Kessie:
Having received a substantial offer for Raphinha and having other clubs be interested in the exit-bound Franck Kessie, the economic prospects of both transfers are far too strong for the club to not consider them at the very least.
07: Confirm the situation of Aubameyang:
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang remains a viable option for FC Barcelona should the club be able to acquire his services for free, given that he is a proven player and has impressed before during his time at the club.
However, as Barcelona are currently looking at multiple forwards as potential arrivals, it remains to be seen where exactly the Gabonese lands in their plans.
08: Finalizing an agreement with Jordi Alba:
With two ultimatums provided to the veteran fullback, FC Barcelona will look to finalize a decision with Jordi Alba over the summer.
Given his massive salary, the two options of either having his contract be terminated or having him agree to a substantial salary reduction remain to be concluded with the preference of the player.
09: Consider the Fati-Neves swap deal:
The reported offer of a swap deal between Ansu Fati and Wolves’ Ruben Neves alongside €30 million separately is a great economical offer for FC Barcelona that they must consider over the course of the summer.
Its feasibility could determine a great addition to Barcelona’s battle against its financial restrictions.
10: Assess the arrival of Carrasco:
With the Catalans maintaining a clause that would allow them to acquire Yannick Carrasco for less than his actual market value, the winger’s arrival is another hot topic in the offices of Barcelona.
The Atletico Madrid forward would come in to provide Barca with a new profile in their attacking line.
