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Barca just saw off a successful first season with Ernesto Valverde, winning a domestic double and making it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The only blemish was the embarrassment they faced in Rome but, apart from that, Barcelona was reliable at the back and lethal going forward. As the rest of the world prepares for the World Cup, Valverde and his men would be discussing plans for the next season.
Barcelona is favourites to win all titles every season, even in one where managerial changes, board disputes and the departure of Neymar created a troubled atmosphere at the club; they clinched the domestic double as if it was a cake walk/
The 2017-2018 season some young players joining the club while a few are set to be promoted to the first team.
Barca is a club that has been historically linked with young talent and renowned for its production of starlets year after year. With an aging squad, the Catalans would have to rely upon the young blood in the near future, here is a look at a few players who can step up next season;
#5 Carles Alena
Media outlets are reporting that Carles Alena, from Barcelona B would be promoted to the first team next season. A quick thinker on and off the ball, Alena is widely regarded as Iniesta's natural successor. Currently battling relegation in the second division with the reserve side, Alena made some cameos with the big boys under Valverde. He was also included in the first team squad which travelled to the United States for the preseason friendlies.
Alena's presence of mind and passing ability make him a perfect match for the Barcelona system which revolves around possessional play. The Spaniard has a small stature that accounts for his low centre of gravity. He loves to dribble on the edges of the field, another characteristic that makes him comparable to the departing maestro.
Alena, however, would face tough competition in the first team, which is already crowded with a massive pile of midfielders and would be required to perform at his highest level to survive the competition.
#4 Ousmane Dembele
Barcelona broke the bank for the young Frenchman last summer. However, Dembele's first season in Barcelona was largely shadowed by injury problems but he still managed to shine in the last few months of the season.
He rose to life on the big stage with his debut goal for Barcelona, which came in the Champions League against Chelsea. What followed were months of exciting football from this raw athlete.
All Barca fans knew that they weren't purchasing an established footballer but were investing in a young talent that could potentially develop as one of the finest global superstars in the future.
After just one season of football at the top level, Dembele made the switch to possibly one of the biggest clubs in Europe and was greeted with a long-term injury within his first few minutes in Spain.
Coming from his first injury, Ousmane suffered another one, reportedly due to mental pressure regarding his big-money move from Germany. It was this time was Dembele was asked to prove himself.
"He's (Dembele) an incredible talent, technically outstanding, he's quick, a difference-maker. Maybe he needs to work on defence a little bit and some other areas. Maybe putting on pressure after we lose the ball. But we know he's young, he's had a tough season (injuries) and we hope he will continue to develop next year." - Ernesto Valverde
In just twelve league games with Barcelona, seven out which he didn't started, Dembele scored three goals and created six for his teammates. Playing for just 931 minutes in the league and contributing directly in nine goals, Dembele has earned a better goal contribution per minute ratio than some of the biggest names in La Liga, including Karim Benzema and Iago Aspas.
The 21-year-old forward provides the cutting edge on the flanks with his pace and dribbling abilities. He has also formed a connection with right-back Nelson Semedo, another promising youngster in the Barca ranks. It is to see how Barcelona treats this gem of a player in the coming few years and how his development goes along.
#3 Nelson Semedo
Valverde's first season in charge was just another year at the right-back position for Sergi Roberto. After Dani Alves' free transfer to Juventus, Sergi Roberto was forced to play at the defensive position instead of his natural midfield role.
Aleix Vidal's incompetence and failure in the transfer market forced the Spaniard to play as a defender. However, Benfica's promising right-back Nelson Semedo joined Barcelona last summer to make up for the defensive gaps in the squad.
It was expected that Valverde would pick Semedo ahead of Roberto, but actually, he relied upon both players and switched them from time to time. While Roberto is a more attack-minded player, Semedo is solid defensively. He covers up for the centre-backs in times of counterattacks and has made several last gap tackles to prevent a goal.
Nelson Semedo boasts a pass success rate of over 88% in the Spanish League. The Portuguese defender has also formed a chemistry with Barcelona players on the right side of the pitch. He effortlessly clears the ball out of danger zones with Gerard Pique and indulges in sublime passing moves with Dembele and Messi.
#2 Denis Suarez
The midfielder was all but set to leave the club after the 2017-18 season but Valverde's late change of mind made Denis travel to hell and back to heaven. A creative midfielder, Suarez is one of the hottest youth prospects in Spain.
Real Betis' breakthrough manager, Quique Setien only recently confessed his love for Denis but the latter has pledged his alliance with the club of his life, Futbol Club Barcelona.
Everyone could sense a different tempo in the game when Denis was on the field. He has the natural ability to change the face of the game and make his side more offensive. Perhaps the only department where Denis is your regular Spanish midfielder is finishing.
Rest assured, Suarez has proved his brilliance time and again. It has to be seen how often the former Manchester City product plays in the coming season.
Suarez doesn't directly contribute in the form of goals and assists but his presence on the field is more than enough to score a few goals with ease, much like Iniesta. Hopefully, it is this innate ability of the starlet that Valverde considers him as a strong and direct replacement of Andres Iniesta.
#1 Philippe Coutinho
Barcelona's pursuit of the Brazilian's services would be talked about for a long long time. After they reportedly failed to land the signature of Marco Verratti, they went all guns out for Coutinho.
After months of denying any speculations from both the camps, Barcelona finally completed Coutinho's deal for an undisclosed fee. However, it is supposed that the deal would've cost the Catalans a hefty £146 million (including various team-and-player related bonuses).
But as every fine article comes at a price, the Brazilian had the gargantuan price tag rightly attached to his head majorly because of his natural talents and partly because of Barcelona's economic status after the Neymar fiasco. Arriving in January, Coutinho revealed how it was always his dream to step out on the Camp Nou soil as a Blaugrana.
His signing was made official late at night in Barcelona when the pint-sized midfielder walked out a door to a room full of journalists. His broad smile indicated something very positive for the club.
The hopes of the fans were very high regarding Coutinho, and he truly delivered. Ruled out of the Champions League due to transfer guidelines, Coutinho plied his trade in the League and the remaining matches of the Copa del Rey for Barcelona. In just over 1300 minutes of game-time for Barca in the league, Coutinho scored eight goals and also gave five assists.
He established himself among the leaders of the goal-plus-assists charts of the league and his trademark goals dropped one too many jaws in the Camp Nou. His two goals in the Spanish Cup add to the list of his individual achievements with the Azulgranas.
Although Coutinho is an attack-minded player, his versatility to play in a plethora of positions make him a suitor for the vacant Andres Iniesta role in the club. However, it is expected that he would play in a much more offensive position, he can play in both Messi's and Iniesta's central position.
Coutinho also followed his chemistry with Luis Suarez, and these two, together with Leo Messi have formed a strong inner circle. The young midfielder would be vital in Barcelona's league defense and Champions League challenge next season.
