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Ernesto Valverde is looking to trim his Barcelona squad for the 2018/19 season. When he arrived at the Camp Nou last summer, the squad was very large.
In the end, he was forced to manage players he didn't plan to use. Most of these players were signed before Valverde's arrival and did not fit into his philosophy or style of football.
He started with 24 players but some of them left the club in January. Also, Andres Iniesta, Paulinho, and Gerard Deulofeu left the club this summer but still, the squad size is big because of new arrivals.
Clement Lenglet and Arthur arrived at the club this summer. Also, the Catalan giants are looking to bring some midfield and attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
Some of the players in the Barcelona squad barely played last season. With the new arrivals, their opportunities are going to vanish completely. Barcelona would like to off-load some of these players to reduce their wage bill. Many of these players are still young and could have a great future elsewhere.
On that note, let's take a look at the four Barcelona players who may have no future under Valverde.
#4 Lucas Digne
The 25-year-old had an exceptional 2015/16 season with AS Roma at the Serie A during his loan spell. He has made 41 appearances for the Italian club and played a key role. Digne has scored three goals and assisted five more during his stay in Italy.
Barcelona signed him from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £13.8 million in 2016. The French full-back has made only 29 La Liga appearances for Barcelona in his two seasons at the club and many of them came as a substitute from the bench.
Digne is a left-back but Jordi Alba owns that position at the Camp Nou right now. Alba is only 29 and at the peak of his footballing career.
Barring injuries, Digne might not be able to dislodge Alba anytime soon. Digne was not able to make it to the France World Cup squad because of the lack of playing time at the Camp Nou.
The Frenchman struggled for minutes at the Camp Nou and could not impress with his limited opportunities.
Though he was solid at the back, he struggled to go forward and contribute to their offensive play. He was not able to make the overlapping runs on a consistent basis that we used to witness from Barcelona fullbacks.
#3 Aleix Vidal
Vidal was signed as a backup option for Dani Alves and was expected to play a huge role after his departure in 2016.
He was signed from Sevilla for a fee of around £16 million. However, he has made only 35 appearances for the Catalan giants in his three seasons at the club and more than half of them came from the bench as a substitute.
He struggled defensively and lost his place to Sergi Roberto. After the arrival of Nelson Semedo, he became their third choice right back.
It will be really hard for him to break into the first team under Valverde anytime soon. Also, Valverde gave him only 567 minutes of football last season which clearly showed that he did not fit in his plans.
#2 Andre Gomes
Andre Gomes was one of the biggest stars of Portugal’s 2016 European Championship success. He had a hugely successful two-year stint with Valencia which forced the Catalan giants to sign him.
Signed for a fee of around €50 million, he was tipped to become one more of the best midfielders in the world.
Though he has made 47 appearances under Enrique in his debut season at the club, he was not able to play his best football.
His career went south under Valverde as he made only six La Liga starts without registering a single goal or assist.
Though he showed glimpses of what he can offer, he could do that on a consistent basis. He lacked the creativity and was conservative in his approach.
His confidence nosedived as the season progressed and he could not recover from it. Also, the arrival of Arthur from Gremio is a clear indication that Gomes does not fit in Valverde’s future plans.
#1 Paco Alcacer
Paco Alcacer is one of underrated player at the Camp Nou. The 24-year-old shined for Valencia during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 campaign which prompted the Catalan giants to sign him. Alcacer has scored 24 goals and assisted 11 more in La Liga during his last two seasons at Valencia.
However, he made only six starts in his first season at the Camp Nou and eight in his next. Enrique had Messi, Suarez, and Neymar up front and Alcacer wasn’t good enough to replace any of them.
Also, the arrival of Ousmane Dembele during the summer of 2017 worked against him.
Though he was impressive in parts, he struggled to reach the level that was expected of him. Lack of consistent opportunities also did not work in his favour. He is still young and could play a major role elsewhere.
Do you think these players would leave Barcelona? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
