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The Catalan giants are preparing to sell several of their first-team fringe players to reshape their squad ahead of the 2018-19 season. Though they are the champions of Spain, they failed badly in the UEFA Champions League.
Andres Iniesta, Barcelona’s legendary midfield maestro left the club this summer and Paulinho too was loaned out to the Chinese Super League club - Guangzhou Evergrande.
The Blaugrana are also looking to sell Andre Gomes. The Portuguese international never settled at the Camp Nou and played way below his potential. He struggled for form and consistency during his two year stay at the club.
According to various reports from Spain, Andre Gomes could move to the Premier League this week. The Gunners are interested in his signature and he will reportedly cost them £20 million. According to the Catalan newspaper Sport, “Barcelona want Gomes off the books as early as this week”.
The departure of three of their midfielders this summer has left Barcelona with a shortage of options in the middle of the park. They need quality midfield reinforcements to compete with the top European clubs.
On that note, let’s take a look at the three potential replacements for Andre Gomes at the Camp Nou.
#3 Adrien Rabiot
The 23-year-old is one of the best young midfielders in the world right now. Although he missed out on the French squad for the 2018 World Cup, he was exceptional for Paris Saint-Germain in his last two seasons in Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League.
The Frenchman produced a scintillating performance against Barcelona when the two sides met in the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League round of 16. PSG destroyed Barcelona 4-0 and Adrien Rabiot played a huge role in that demolition. He kept Messi and co quiet on the night and controlled the game beautifully.
An intelligent midfielder, Rabiot is highly regarded for his passing abilities and ball control. His pass accuracy in Ligue 1 last season was 92.2 percent and he won 1.8 tackles per game. His ability to read the game is unbelievably good for a 23-year-old.
#2 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
The Serbian midfielder is one of the rising stars in European football. Milinkovic-Savic had a stellar 2017-18 campaign for Lazio in Serie A. The 23 year old scored 14 goals and assisted 9 more for Lazio last season.
Standing at 6’4”, he is an imposing figure in the midfield. Milinkovic-Savic is a versatile player who can occupy several midfield positions. He is brilliant in the air and won 1.6 tackles per game in Serie A last campaign.
During the 2017-18 season, he created 1.5 chances and completed 1.6 dribbles per game in Serie A. He also made 50 passes per game and won more than 100 aerial duels. He is a powerful midfielder who likes to dominate his opponents. With Sergio Busquets providing defensive cover, Savic could express himself in the final third.
All stats via transfermarkt
#1 N’Golo Kante
Kante now a World Cup winner with France, is one of the best midfielders in world football at the moment. He played a huge role in Leicester’s title winning 2015-16 campaign and replicated the same for Chelsea the following season.
Kante is arguably the best in the world when it comes to making tackles. The Frenchman has made the most tackles in Europe's top-flight leagues during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 season. Kante has averaged four tackles per game throughout his entire top-flight career.
His positional awareness, ability to intercept passes, and his ability to read the game is simply phenomenal. The 27 year old could be a great addition to Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona squad.
