To Keep Stars, Barca May Sell Stars—But Who?
By Sean Whooley
Who Could Replace Rakitic?
- Denis Suarez: He is improving game by game, and though he may not possess the physical qualities of Rakitic, he is probably the like-for-like replacement option. He offers creativity from the center of the park, and can be groomed into a tough-tackler at the ripe age of 23.
- Rafinha: The Brazilian is more of a wide attacker by trade. But, we’ve seen his brother develop into a reliable central midfielder at Bayern Munich, and there is a chance for Rafinha too. Or, Enrique could fiddle with his tactics—Sergio Busquets holding, Iniesta advanced with Rafinha and someone else spread wider in a diamond.
- Sergi Roberto: The central midfielder-turned-fullback could be restored to his natural position if Vidal works out at right back or Barcelona find a proper replacement. If that is the case, he could possibly be the best option while Suarez stays as Iniesta’s understudy. He has a tenacity we’ve seen from defense coupled with a proclivity to attack. It would take some shuffling, but Roberto is not a bad option.