Barcelona: Josep Bartomeu reveals plan to deal with life after Lionel Messi

The Barcelona board is preparing for a future without talisman Lionel Messi.

A Barcelona team without Lionel Messi is a future no cule wants to envisage due to how influential he has been for over a decade through his sheer consistency. His brilliance is unmatched and there is no player on the planet that can replace him due to the multiple roles he fills in the team.

Josep Bartomeu and the Barca board are tasked with preparing for life after Messi as they can’t afford to let the team slump due to its status as one of Europe’s super clubs. How the club dealt with the departure of Xavi should serve as a warning for why they can’t afford to get this transition wrong. It took three years to bring in someone that possessed a similar skillset with Arthur seen as his replacement.

In an interview with Guillem Balague on the 5 live Football Daily Podcast, Bartomeu discussed how Barcelona are going about preparing for the future and what the plan is for the rest of his term as president which ends in 2021. This is a key period for the team as there is an experienced core that has been part of a golden period for the club, but they have either started to or will be coming down from their lofty peaks soon.

"This is what Bartomeu had to say:“I know one day Lionel will say he’s retiring.”“We have to prepare the club for the future.”“We are bringing great young players to the team because we need to continue this era of success. That’s our responsibility.“My mandate will be finished in two seasons. So I need to leave the club in a great position and tell the new president ‘that’s our legacy’.”"

Signing talented youngsters rather than proven world-class talent is a smart move due to it being a less costly policy as well as ensuring longevity in key positions. Frenkie de Jong is clearly part of that as well as Arthur and in them, they have a central midfield pairing that could last for over a decade.

There also needs to be a focus on providing a route into the first-team for the top La Masia graduates. Carles Alena‘s promotion into the first team has been hugely promising in this regard. Riqui Puig, Oriol Busquets, Juan Miranda and Abel Ruiz are just a few of the players who should be gradually earning more opportunities over the next few seasons as they slowly transition into the senior side.

Jean-Clair Todibo was an intelligent signing by the club to bolster the depth in the centre-back position, but a move for De Jong’s teammate Matthijs de Ligt seems wise due how well suited he is for Barcelona’s philosophy of playing out from the back.

In Ousmane Dembele, Barca have a player who has the potential to be among the best in the world. He can’t replace Messi on his own, though, and they have other players to replace in the forward area as Luis Suarez is starting to decline. Philippe Coutinho hasn’t had the desired impact at the club, either, so there is still plenty of work to do in this area.