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When Barcelona signed Paulinho from the Chinese Super League side Evergrande for £36 million in 2017, some sections of the Camp Nou had their doubts. Paulinho was a huge failure at Tottenham Hotspur and left the club in 2015 for just £14 million.
Though Paulinho had a decent campaign at the Camp Nou, he was allowed to rejoin Guangzhou Evergrande this summer on a one-year loan. After the retirement of Andres Iniesta, Paulinho becomes the second midfielder to leave the Catalan club this summer.
Barcelona certainly needs midfield reinforcements for the 2018-19 season. Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets cannot do all by themselves. They need at least one if not two quality midfielders to fill the huge void left by recent departures.
On that note, let’s take a look at 3 world class midfielders who could replace Paulinho at Barcelona.
#3 Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanic has been arguably the best midfielder in Serie A for quite some time and certainly one of the best in the world. The 28-year-old was phenomenal for Juventus in the last two seasons and has led them to successive Serie A titles.
Pjanic has scored 10 goals and assisted 12 more in his last two Serie A seasons with the Old Lady. He was their midfield linchpin and played the role to perfection. He has created two chances per game and has a passing accuracy of 90.2 percent in Serie A last season.
The Bosnian midfielder has the ability to control games and is a versatile footballer. Pjanic was linked with Barcelona in the past and the transfer might go through this summer. He is a technically gifted midfielder, known for his defensive abilities, work-rate, and tactical awareness. A brilliant free-kick taker, Pjanic is a highly rated when it comes to set-pieces.
All stats via transfermarkt
#2 Paul Pogba
Some Manchester United fans may not agree with this, but Paul Pogba is certainly one of the best midfielders in world football right now. He may not score goals or provide assists consistently but his overall contribution to the team is exceptional. He runs all day, protects the defense, and creates opportunities for his teammates.
Pogba is primarily a central midfielder but can occupy various midfield roles. He is skillful with the ball at his feet and a powerful player. He is exceptional in the air and possesses great technical abilities.
He has been really impressive for France in the 2018 World Cup and could even win the trophy on Sunday. It is no wonder that Barcelona is linked with a player of Pogba’s caliber. He could certainly make them look better and bring a lot of success.
#1 Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen has definitely been one of the top 3 midfielders in the Premier League for the last two seasons. Though he may not be a like-for-like replacement for Paulinho, he certainly is the kind of player who can take his place in the Barcelona squad.
Without Iniesta, Barcelona needs a player who can do the job of both their departed midfielders and Eriksen fits the bill perfectly. The Danish international scored 10 goals and assisted 11 more for Tottenham Hotspur last season.
He has also made 1.4 tackles and created 2.6 chances per game in the Premier League last season. His passing abilities, vision, and ability to read the game will certainly help the Catalan side. He could turn Barcelona into a real force.
