FC Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta has cast doubt over his future at Camp Nou by claiming that he has to evaluate a lot of things before making an ‘honest’ decision on his future. The Spaniard has a little more than a year left on his contract with the Catalan giants and has struggled due to injuries for the majority of this season, as a result of which he managed to start only 13 league games.
Whether or not he extends his contract with Barcelona is a different thing altogether but at 33-years of age, Iniesta isn’t getting any younger and his playing days are numbered. FC Barcelona have had their worst season in recent years, missing out on the league title to arch-rivals Real Madrid while also getting dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Juventus.
The Catalan outfit need a squad overhaul but before that, they need to find a suitable replacement for Andres Iniesta, for they struggled immensely in the absence of the Spaniard.
Here are 5 players who can take over the mantle from the legendary Spaniard:
#5 Marco Verratti – Paris Saint-Germain
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is not exactly a like for like replacement for the Spaniard but in a midfield three – such as the one deployed by Barcelona – he would excel. The Italian has all the required qualities to be an ideal replacement for Iniesta.
Verratti has an excellent passing range, can pick out a good pass, dribble his way into good positions, can get out of tight spots and can also recycle ball very efficiently. The only obvious weakness in his game is probably his ability to win aerial balls but that is more to do with his relative short stature than a lack of skill.
The PSG superstar was excellent in the 4-0 mauling of Barcelona at the Parc des Princes and has been heavily linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 giants. It is no surprise that Barcelona are also reportedly interested in his services and they should go all out in his pursuit.
#4 Jean Michael Seri – Nice
Not many have heard the name of the Nice midfielder but he has made a name for himself after an excellent season in which he helped his side finish third in Ligue 1. The Ivory Coast international contributed with 7 goals and 9 assists from midfield and has all the attributes required from someone who is to fill into Iniesta’s huge boots.
Equipped with a good passing range coupled with an eye for a pass and equally adept at taking long shots, the 25-year-old can play a key role for Barcelona. Recently, in an interview, he even revealed that he is a long boyhood fan of the club and if they come calling for his services, he cannot turn it down.
Seri has been linked with a move away from Nice and has plenty of suitors from the English Premier League. It has also come to light that he has a £34 million buy-out clause in his contract but Barcelona can sign him for only £17 million, because of a special clause which was inserted by him for the club of his dreams.
Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Seri said: “If Barça comes to sign you, you can’t say no. No way. I have supported Barça since I was a child, when I was still in my native country, in Ivory Coast. I was always a big Cule (Barcelona fan) and those who know me know it well. Then, when I moved to Portugal, I had the chance to follow their games closely.”
#3 Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool
Barcelona are said to be long-term admirers of the Brazilian playmaker and have been heavily linked with a move for him. Even Camp Nou superstar Neymar has expressed that his side should sign the 24-year-old playmaker.
The Liverpool star has just finished arguably his best season statistically having scored 17 goals apart from the 7 assists that he provided in all competitions this season. Coutinho is a very different player to Iniesta but he checks all the boxes of the skills required by a midfielder to play for a club like Barcelona. The Brazilian has a propensity to cut in from the left and loves to let it fly from distance, often scoring amazing long-distance goals.
His close range finishing needs to be worked on but with age on his side, he will surely get better. He is also good with the ball and loves to dribble, while also being good with set pieces. However, the Catalan giants will have to part with a sizeable sum to lure the Brazilian to Camp Nou.
#2 Isco – Real Madrid
If there ever was a player who was a like to like replacement for the World Cup winning Spaniard it is Real Madrid superstar Isco. Blessed with an incredible vision and an equally good passing range, Isco is the perfect midfielder to help fill the void left in the absence of Iniesta.
The 25-year-old is excellent at holding on to the ball and can dictate the tempo of the game from midfield while also having the required skill set to take the ball and dribble forward. He also has a knack of getting into scoring positions as is visible from his return of 13 goals and 8 assists this season. Further to that, Isco can occupy literally any position in midfield be it that of an attacking midfielder, a deep lying playmaker or a good old central midfielder.
However, the biggest challenge that lies in front of Barcelona is how do they lure a Real Madrid superstar to the Camp Nou. Although there have been reports in the past 6 months that have suggested that Barca are willing to offer the Spaniard a huge signing bonus if he doesn’t extend his contract with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit and joins them when his contract expires in 2018.
#1 Thiago Alcantara – Bayern Munich
Barcelona had a ready-made successor for Xavi or Iniesta in their ranks in the mould of Thiago Alcantara but they made the cardinal sin of allowing one of the hottest prospects in all of Europe to leave the club. The 26-year-old has since been immense for Bayern Munich and has established himself as the best midfielder in all of Europe this season.
Adept at playing anywhere in the heart of midfield, Thiago has an impeccable passing range and is also not shy of getting his hands dirty. The Spaniard has been a crest above his teammates this season – bar probably Robert Lewandowski – and it is his dribbling and finishing that has seen him stand out.
His stats speak volumes about the former Barcelona man, having scored 9 goals and assisted another 9. Not only that, he has a pass completion percentage of 90.2 and 94.9 passes per game – the second best in Europe. He has the most interceptions per game in all of Europe, with 4.6 – truly incredible.
Apart from having a well-rounded game his biggest strength lies in the fact that there are no obvious weaknesses in his game. However, Barcelona have the tough task of luring their former academy product back to Camp Nou but if they are able to do it, he will excel and will ably fill in the void left by Iniesta.
