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In the wake of Barcelona's disappointing end to the 2018/2019 campaign, some changes would be expected to be made to the squad.
The current window has passed by so far at Camp Nou without too much movement unlike their arch-rivals Real Madrid, with the only arrivals being those of Frenkie de Jong and Emerson for the combined sum of €87m, while Moussa Wague was promoted from the reserve side.
While the three men would add their own quota to the squad, there are still some grey areas in the Barcelona team which need to be addressed if they are to compete for the top prizes once again next season.
In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of four weak links in the current Barcelona team which must be addressed this summer.
#4 Center-Back
Over the years, Barcelona have prided themselves on succeeding without much emphasis placed on their backline.
This was largely possible due to the overbearing influence the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta had on the Blaugrana's midfield which saw them keep hold of the ball, stifling opponents and giving them next to no chance of getting at their defense.
However, those glory midfield days are long gone and while Barcelona continue to play a possession-based pattern, it is nowhere near being as effective as it was in Xavi's heydey.
While Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Clemet Lenglet might all be decent center-backs in their own right, they have their shortcomings and this was exposed on occasion last season. The most infamous of occasions being in their capitulation against Liverpool in the Champions League, while Villareal, Real Betis and Celta Vigo and Valencia also found the Catalans out domestically.
The club needs to address this shortcoming in the center of defense, especially in light of Samuel Umtiti's injury record and possible departure. A lot of candidates have emerged as potential targets for the Camp Nou outfit, with highly rated Dutch youngster Matthijs de Ligt the forerunner according to several reports.
#3 Left Wing-Forward
For three seasons between 2014 and 2017, Barcelona arguably had the most devastating forward line in football, as the front trio affectionately termed 'MSN' tore defenses across Europe to shreds.
Between them, Neymar, Luis Suarez and the immaculate Lionel Messi managed to score the whopping total of 364 goals in all competitions for Barcelona in the three seasons they operated and their productivity in front of goal helped the Spanish giants to a number of trophies including the treble in their first season together.
Neymar's world record move to PSG in the summer of 2017 opened up a gap on the wide left of Barcelona's attack and it is a void that the club has desperately tried to fill, spending the sum total of €343m on three players to replace Neymar, but none of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho or Malcom have successfully stepped up to the plate.
While Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez might be pristine goalscorers of the highest level, they need support in the final third. As such, it is imperative that the club finds a solution to the third flank of their attack if they are to triumph on the continent and maintain their domestic dominance next season.
#2 Back-up center-forward
Ever since Luis Suarez arrived Barcelona in the summer of 2014, the Uruguayan international has played his way into the annals of Barcelona's illustrious history as one of the greatest center-forwards to ever don the blue and gold of the Catalans.
The 32-year-old had cemented his reputation as one of the great goalscorers prior to arriving Barcelona, but he took his marksmanship to an entirely different level at the Nou Camp.
He won the La Liga and European Golden Boot in just his second season at the club, pipping the eternal duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award for the second time in his career.
With 177 goals from just 247 matches for Barcelona in all competitions, the former Ajax man is already 4th on the list of highest goalscorers in the club's history and his productivity in front of goal has played a massive role in helping his side to 13 major trophies.
However, for all of his prowess, Suarez is very much human, not immune from the occasional decline in performance associated with the rest of us and this much has been evident in recent years particularly on the international front.
The Uruguayan record goalscorer has scored just five goals from his last 25 Champions Leage matches, while he has gone over three years without an away goal in the competition.
This has played a massive role in Barcelona's shortcomings in the Champions League in recent years and it is in line with this that a backup striker should be high on the club's wishlist.
With this in mind, it makes the decision to let both Paco Alcacer and Munir El Haddadi leave ridiculous, while the loan signing of Kevin Prince Boateng would rank high up there as among the strangest in the history of Barcelona.
With Mauro Icardi seemingly not in new manager Antonio Conte's plans, the 25-year-old could be an ideal player for Barcelona to pursue. Although his reported poor relationship with Messi could be a detractor.
#1 Left-back
It would be difficult to find a left-back who has performed better than Jordi Alba over the last five years.
The 30-year-old La Masia graduate has played a massive role in all the success enjoyed by his beloved club since his return to the team in 2012, winning 15 trophies in his time at the club.
On the field, he has developed a special and almost telepathic relationship with Lionel Messi and a common sight over the years has been that of the full-back latching onto the end of a delightful Lionel Messi pass and vice-versa.
Jordi Alba is one of the most technically gifted defenders in the modern game, having honed his talents to near perfection in La Masia and Barcelona have benefited immensely from his bombarding runs forward and delightful crosses.
However, if there is one aspect where Alba falls short in, it is in his primary duties of defending. Over the years, most opponents intentionally channel attacks down his flank, with the most glaring example of this coming in last season's Champions League fixture with Liverpool where Alba was directly at fault for two goals scored by The Reds.
During his seven-year stay at the Camp Nou, Jordi Alba has very rarely faced any major competition for his starting spot and perhaps for this reason, a bit of complacency might have crept into his game.
The club sees getting a backup option to challenge Alba as a priority. An interesting alternative could be for Barcelona to look at a former La Masia prodigy in Alex Grimaldo who is currently starring for Benfica in the Portuguese league.
