A major concern for FC Barcelona heading into the new season will be their financial situation. The Catalan club has just recently submitted their financial documentation to La Liga in light of their April 30 deadline. However, Barcelona still has to wait before they can find out what their final budget will be.
For now, all the Catalan club can really do is assess their possible options in the summer transfer window. Barcelona need a new pivot for next season, and that is precisely the position which they continue to monitor in the market for, hoping to find the right candidates.
As of right now, Mundo Deportivo states that some of the most attractive options for Barcelona arrive from within La Liga itself. One of the two options is a great desire for Xavi Hernandez, while the other is a potential signing who could arrive on a free and also guarantee quality and experience.
The first name out of the two is that of Martin Zubimendi. Currently a player for Real Sociedad, he remains the ideal replacement for Sergio Busquets in the eyes of the Barcelona head coach. Aged just 25 and possessing heaps of quality to offer, Xavi and Barcelona are both enticed by him.
However, as perfect as all of that interest sounds, it does not seem to be fully reciprocated. Neither Real Sociedad nor Zubimendi look to part ways for now, and his release clause of €60 million is a rather high figure and something Barcelona are always going to think twice about before pursuing such an operation.
The other name of the two mentioned previously is Guido Rodriguez. An international with the Argentina National Team, Rodriguez is also a proper veteran of La Liga. The 30-year-old defensive midfielder is currently contracted to Real Betis, but recent reports have connected him heavily to a move to Barcelona.
Furthermore, with his contract ending in the summer, he would arrive as a free agent. This would give Barcelona additional cover in the defensive midfield region and also guarantee an arrival that does not take too much of a toll on their rather fragile economic situation.
Other options such as Joshua Kimmich are also being assessed, but they are considered to be more of a luxury signing that Barcelona continues to look at. A potential combination of signing both Guido Rodriguez and the Bayern Munich star may just end up being a feasible reality for Barça, but it is still too early to do guesswork.
