5 possible replacements for Barcelona's Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique is one the best defenders in the world and is also a key figure at FC Barcelona ever since he returned to the club from Manchester United in 2008.

The Spaniard played 460 times for the club so far and helped Barcelona win seven La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies along with six Copa del Rey and three FIFA Club World Cup. He was a part of the FIFPro World XI on four occasions and also won the LaLiga best defender during the 2009-10 season.

However, the Spanish defender is now 31 years old and his level will only decrease from now on. Barcelona cannot afford to depend on him for long and need a new centre-back to replace their superstar.

Right on this note, here is a list of five centre-backs who can potentially replace Gerard Pique at Barcelona.

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#1 John Stones

John Stones is one of the best English defenders right now and is in a fine form since moving to Manchester City from Everton in the summer transfer window of 2016.

The 24-year old is among the best ball-playing defenders in the world and would be a natural fit in Barcelona's possession-based style of play. He does not rush into tackles and always keeps his calm during the crucial moments, which makes him difficult to beat in one on one situations.

John Stones played 81 games in all competitions for the Cityzens thus far and won one Premier League title along with one EFL CUP and FA Community Shield. He was also among England's best performers during the FIFA World Cup 2018 and helped his team reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

The former Barcelona and now Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola compared John Stones with Pique and the Blaugrana can trust their legendary manager in finding the candidate to drive the team forward after the peak years of their defender.

All Stats via- transfermarket.com

#2 Matthijs de Ligt

From Johan Cruyff to Wesley Sneijder, Ajax is renowned for producing some of the best talents in football and Matthijs de Ligt is the latest one to make his way from the Ajax's esteemed youth academy.

de Ligt joined the Amsterdam-based club as a 9-year-old, his senior debut came in the 2016/17 season. In just 11 appearances, he showed his talent. At the end of the year, de Ligt won the AFC Ajax Talent for the Future 2016 award.

The Dutch international continued to increase his level the following season and earned his spot in the Ajax starting XI. He went on to play 33 league games in the 2017-2018 season, in addition, he took home the AFC Ajax Talent of the year 2018, and the Dutch Footballer of the Year Bronze Boot also.

The 19-year-old was linked with Barcelona in the recent weeks and we could see the Spanish giants making the move for the talented Dutch in January or in summer.

#3 Joe Gomez

Liverpool's defence improved significantly in the last couple of months and Joe Gomez is crucial in turning the Reds' defence around.

The 21-year old is a versatile defender who is capable of playing anywhere across the backline. He has a great aerial ability and is a good reader of the opposing attacks, also, he can play with the ball at his feet.

Gomez completed 473 passes in the Premier League this season with an impressive passing accuracy of 87.3 percent. He also made 24 clearances and won 67 percent of his tackles.

The young English defender is one of the best young defenders in the world right now and will be a perfect long-term replacement for the ageing Pique. However, the Blaugana need to offer a huge amount of money to tempt Liverpool for selling their talented youngster.

#4 Dayot Upamecano

The French youth international is presently among the most promising defenders in the Bundesliga and he improved significantly during his time with RB Leipzig.

Dayot Upamecano is blessed with great reactions and can recover from any position. His huge frame, standing over 6ft help him steal the ball away from attackers and he uses his rapid pace to eliminate counter-attacking threats.

The 20-year-old played 47 games for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, scoring three times. He won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship 2015 and was also included in the Team of the Tournament for his performances.

Dayot Upamecano was linked with a move to Barcelona in the last summer transfer window but the move failed to materialise. However, the Blaugrana could again turn their attention towards him if he continues to impress for Leipzig.

All Stats via- transfermarket.com

#5 Marquinhos

Marquinhos started his career with Corinthians and made his senior debut as a 17-year-old. He played six times for the club before leaving the Timão (Great Team) for AS Roma in 2012.

His performances in the Italian capital impressed money rich PSG and he moved to France after just one season with Roma.

Marquinhos played 140 league games for PSG thus far, scoring nine times. He won four Ligue 1 titles along with four Coupe de France and five Coupe de la Ligue trophies. He was also included in the Ligue 1 2017-18 Team of the Year.

At 24, his best years at yet to come and since big clubs like Manchester United and Juventus were linked with him in summer, Barcelona needs to move faster in order to lure the talented Brazilian to Camp Nou.

All Stats via- transfermarket.com