5 midfielders who could replace Ivan Rakitic at Barcelona 

4. Rodrigo Bentancur

Rodrigo Bentancur has 7 assists from central midfield in the Serie A this season

Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been on Barcelona’s radar for a while now because of his impressive showings for the Italian giants over the past couple of years or so. The 22-year-old is a product of the famous Boca Juniors academy and was snapped up by the Serie A champions for a reported €9.4m in the summer of 2017.

The Uruguayan is a versatile midfielder who can slot in at defensive midfield, central midfield, as a deep-lying playmaker and even as a number ten if required. Tall, sharp and silky, Bentancur is a perfect modern-day box-to-box midfielder who has the adequate passing range whilst also the tenacity and strength required in the middle of the park. Excellent in transition, he can easily dictate play, exchange passes with the defence and also feed the attackers. His seven assists in the Serie A this season speak volumes about his chance creating and playmaking ability.

At Barcelona, Bentancur could play the Sergio Busquets role behind, say, Arthur and Frenkie de Jong or play the Arturo Vidal or Ivan Rakitic position where he gets the license to bomb forward at will. He can be extremely effective in a double-pivot too, like with Miralem Pjanic in Maurizio Sarri's side. His adaptability and positional intelligence at such a young age is next to none and could prove to be a huge asset for Quique Setien’s style of play.

With his outrageous potential and talents, Rodrigo Bentancur could not only become a superstar in Europe but also a leader for the Uruguayan national team in the future.