Barcelona have to move on from Messi the right way

The Lionel Messi saga is over – amid reports of his moving to Saudi Arabia and a potential return to FC Barcelona, he’s now going to Inter Miami and the MLS. The whole story has been dominating the media for the past few weeks, and it’s been on everyone’s mind seemingly since Messi left Barcelona in the first place. But it’s done now. The discourse around Barcelona and their summer transfers seems to have pivoted, and quickly. It’s been reported that without the signing of Messi, Barça will have much more flexibility when it comes to other players. Messi himself said so: 

"Even though I heard that they said that the league had accepted everything and that everything was OK for me to come back… there were still a lot of other things missing. I heard that they had to sell players or lower the salaries of players and the truth is that I didn’t want to go through that, nor be responsible or have anything to do with all that. – Sport"

It appears the non-signing of Lionel Messi leaves Xavi’s Barça with a few questions, but also clears up some things. While he is the greatest player of all time, the whole Messi saga was becoming a media thundercloud over the team. It’s sad that he isn’t returning, but… maybe now they can move on?

The question is then, how? What should FC Barcelona do moving forward? Let’s take a look.

Sergio Busquets is another player that may join Inter Miami. Regardless of where he goes, he won’t be playing in Catalonia next season. Therefore, Xavi rightfully considers a replacement for him paramount. Frenkie de Jong is a remarkable player that they should keep for years to come, but playing as a single pivot hasn’t produced the greatest results for him. The Barcelona manager has also determined another midfielder is necessary, especially if Franck Kessie moves out. So let’s talk about a few midfield targets Barça have been linked to  (even if they’re not all direct Busquets replacements).

Midfield

First off, Martín Zubimendi. The 24-year old had a magnificent season for Real Sociedad. He certainly seems to be the most direct Busquets comparison of the group, with Busquets himself claiming he plays very similarly. However, he does have a  €60 million release clause – hefty.

Ruben Neves, from Wolverhampton, is another name that has been heavily bandied about by the media. I actually rather like Neves, although comparisons to Busquets are sure to disappoint, as he just isn’t the same type of player. As an option for depth, however, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. Despite this, Xavi and his staff seem to not rate him highly for what they’re trying to do, which is fair enough. It seems Joan Laporta’s board are pushing for him more strongly than the coaches, maybe as part of a deal to sell Ansu Fati.

What about Sofyan Amrabat? Personally, I believe he could bring a skillset that this team doesn’t have, but the 26-year-old, who played a huge role for Morocco in the World Cup, can’t be the only midfield signing Barça make. They need players of a different style more than him.

Joshua Kimmich is a very interesting option. The 28-year-old German is full of quality, but it’s hard to believe that a deal for him can be worked out with Bayern Munich, especially since he’s under contract with them for a while yet. İlkay Gündoğan is another tremendous player that Barça would love to have, on a free transfer to boot. There have been rumors of the 32-year-old signing a new contract with Manchester City, but it does seem quite possible that Laporta could snatch him up. There are some other options, such as Bernardo Silva and Gabri Veiga, but they seem a bit more out there and unlikely to happen (although Veiga, in my opinion, at the tender age of 21, would be a steal).

So what can be done with the midfield? In my opinion, two signings are really all we’d need, and those two are Zubimendi and Gündoğan. Zubimendi would be a big splash this summer, moneywise, but he’s honestly worth it. He’s full of ability and defensive prowess, is familiar with La Liga, and is the closest thing to Busquets that we’ve seen Barça linked to. Gündoğan is an amazing player still, as his recent showings for City have proved, and a veteran midfielder that has savvy and a knack for goal may be just what they need for this squad.

Forwards

Xavi and his men have also identified a need for signings in the forward positions; specifically a backup striker and a left winger.

Let’s start first with the left winger, and what seems to me to be a slam-dunk, no-brainer option: Ez Abde. He’s returning on loan from Osasuna, where he showed real talent, pace, and a feel for the position. Yannick Carrasco, Atletico Madrid winger, has also been prominently discussed as an option here, to which I must ask: why? Abde is younger, pacier, has more potential, and would be a much cheaper option – which would help at the moment since finances aren’t Barça’s strong suit this summer. On the left side, they’ve also got Fati, who came on strong at the end of the season, and Gavi, who’s filled in capably there before. Worst comes to worst, Ousmane Dembélé can play there as well. I’m not saying Abde is a surefire starter by any means, but there are more pressing positional needs that don’t justify spending more than they have to for a winger.

Along with Zubimendi, my dream signing this offseason would be Brazilian youngster Vitor Roque. He’s a goal machine with great instincts who’s already shown up big in big matches for club and country. Having him come off the bench behind Robert Lewandowski for a year or two would do wonders for him. He’d learn a lot from the Polish talisman and acclimate himself to the city and league without the pressure of being thrust into the starting lineup. Barça would get a promising 18-year-old who could eventually become the starter once Lewandowski moves on. It’d be a win-win. Of course, as always, money is the issue, but they should do whatever they can to make it happen.

Right-Back

Last on Xavi’s list of priorities is the right-back position. It’s not hard to see why, as Jules Koundé has filled in pretty well there so far despite it not being where he wants to play. With the addition of Iñigo Martínez at center-back, the position is becoming more congested, and maybe Koundé could be persuaded to move out to the right even more. Julian Araújo is also seemingly liked by the staff, and will be given a chance to show his stuff in the pre-season.

Players like João Cancelo, Juan Foyth, and Benjamin Pavard have all been ruled out or close to it, it appears, for monetary reasons. That, however, is fine by me. I wouldn’t want any of those players if I was Barça, not for the price tag incumbent with them.

Hear me out for just a moment. I have been baffled in recent months by the complete lack of consideration for a good young player that hasn’t been even very seriously considered: Arnau Martínez.

For the life of me, I don’t understand why. The 20-year-old Catalan, right-back for Girona, has everything in a right-back for Barça. Pace, versatility, offensive and defensive ability, a familiarity with the league – and he grew up not 20 kilometers away from Barcelona. In addition, he’s a former La Masia player. Why not take a relatively inexpensive chance on young talent?

All of these options are operating under the assumption that players will be sold this summer. Clémént Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Nico González, Pablo Torre, and Alex Collado will all most likely be gone from the squad, as well as some combination of Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, and Franck Kessie (Fati leaving, by the way, would be a mistake – I’ll say it again).

However, assuming several key exits are achieved, I don’t believe the options laid out in this article are too unrealistic. Maybe not all these players can be bought or sold, but it’s clear to Xavi, Joan Laporta, and all Barça fans that something needs to happen and that this summer will be quite eventful. Now that Lionel Messi isn’t an option, hopefully, clarity will emerge, and hopefully, Barcelona will make the right decisions moving forward.

What do you think about Barcelona’s options moving forward, and how would you build the squad?