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Barcelona are not in a good state. After a poor league campaign which saw arch-rivals Real Madrid lift the La Liga title, Barcelona's season ended horribly after a terrible 8-2 loss against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Change is coming, there is no doubt about it. Manager Quique Setien has been sacked according to reliable reports, and a meeting will be conducted on Monday to assess the damage and discuss the repairs.
We look at 5 changes Barcelona need to make to get back to the top.
#5 Spend money wisely
It is no secret that most of Barcelona's recent big-money signings have failed to deliver for the club.
Since Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million in 2017, Barcelona have spent €160 million on Philippe Coutinho, €105 million on Ousmane Dembele and €120 million on Antoine Griezmann. Not to mention €75 million on Frenkie de Jong and €40 million on Paulinho, among other transfers.
Coutinho is on loan at Bayern Munich, while Griezmann and Dembele have had seasons to forget. Barcelona are said to be going through a financial crisis, with selling players the only way to fund incomings.
Barcelona need to be more sensible with the money. Instead of buying superstars for inflated transfer fees, the Catalan club should look for cheaper, younger and more malleable players of which there are many.
#4 Replace ageing stars
This should be one of the primary targets for Barcelona in the summer. The Camp Nou outfit have eight first-team players who are 30 and above; Antoine Griezmann is 29, Sergi Roberto is 28 and Martin Braithwaite is 29.
Midfield is of particular concern. Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal have a combined age of 97, and it often shows on the field. The arrival of 30-year old Miralem Pjanic is going to do little good as far as the average age of the squad is concerned.
Shifting these stars is a major concern. Almost all of them are on massive wages, and it is unlikely that Barcelona would sell Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique or Busquets this summer. Vidal has been linked with Inter Milan and Inter Miami, while Rakitic has been touted for a return to Sevilla.
While it is certainly a painful process, the Catalans have to be shrewd as well as ruthless. Real Madrid and Iker Casillas are a prime example. With Keylor Navas as goalkeeper, Los Blancos went on to win three consecutive Champions League titles.
Also Read: 10 players with the best minutes to goals ratio in the UEFA Champions League
#3 Less dependency on Lionel Messi
"Messidependencia" is well and truly in full flow. Lionel Messi is Barcelona's best passer, best creator as well as best goalscorer, and the burden is evident.
The 33-year old has long been the talisman of Barcelona, but frustration seems to have seeped in now. Messi has only one year left in his Barcelona contract, and it has been suggested that the Argentine could leave the club due to unhappiness on how the club is being run behind-the-scenes.
A few years ago, the presence of Luis Suarez in his prime as well as Neymar saw the dependency on Messi being significantly less. However, the club's failure to replace Neymar and provide adequate competition to Luis Suarez has seen Messi do everything on his own.
Philippe Coutinho was supposed to share the responsibility of the creativity, while Dembele and Griezmann were seen as ideal forward signings. That has not been the case.
#2 The presidential situation
It would be fair to say that the current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is not a fan favourite.
Fans have often accused him of using the club for certain malpractices, which also apparently involve shady transfer deals. The transfer of Paulinho from Guangzhou Evergrande for a whopping €40 million in 2017 raised eyebrows, only for the player to return to China a season later for €42 million.
The swap deal for Arthur and Miralem Pjanic has also irritated fans. The 8-2 loss will further increase tensions, and with elections next year, rival candidate Victor Font will place immense pressure on Bartomeu's shoulders.
While Quique Setien will take most of the blame for the debacle against Bayern Munich, Bartomeu and the Barcelona hierarchy's squad building is also a main reason for their embarrassing loss.
#1 Hire new manager and back him
It has been reported by several reliable reporters that Quique Setien has been sacked by Barcelona.
With the club in the market for a new manager, various names have been discussed. Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is seen as the favourite; however his allegiance to Espanyol might complicate matters. Massimiliano Allegri, Ronald Koeman and Xavi have all been linked.
No matter who the manager is, the time has come for the Barcelona board as well as the fans to back him. Luis Enrique had a slow start to his spell as Barca boss, only to lift the treble. Since then, both Ernesto Valverde and Setien have not had the vote of confidence from fans.
No matter who the manager is, rebuilding Barcelona is not a short-term project. Time is required, and it must be given to harbour any hope of long-term success.
Also Read: 5 defenders who have scored the most goals this season
