5 players who could leave Barcelona in the Summer

To the surprise of perhaps a lot of neutrals, Barcelona has run away with La Liga so far this season. New manager Ernesto Valverde has led a quiet but effective revolution, after the chaotic nature of the Luis Enrique era.

It helps to have Lionel Messi playing for you, of course, and the incomparable Argentine has been at his best for the whole campaign: he's scored 24 goals in 34 appearances and played seemingly all over the attacking half of the pitch.

Philippe Coutinho and Yerry Mina arrived with much fanfare, further strengthening the squad this January. The title looks to be Barcelona's and the UEFA Champions League is also now a realistic target.

Valverde's squad, however, does have its weaknesses and could certainly be trimmed down. On that note, this slideshow looks at 5 players who could leave this summer, to make way for better quality:

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#5 Aleix Vidal

Vidal has never found his best form for Barcelona yet

The right-footed player has been at Barcelona for 3 seasons now but has not firmly established himself in the first team. He's been tried all over that side of the pitch to limited success: Vidal seems too defensively suspect to be a right back, and too poor with his attacking ability to play as a right-winger.

He's made just 44 appearances in all competitions for the club, a small amount considering how long he's been there.

Valverde signed right-back Nelsen Semedo from Benfica this summer and he hasn't even been able to displace the dependable Sergi Roberto from that position.

It seems like those two will continue to do battle to start at right-back next season, leaving Vidal surplus to requirement. He'll still interest a number of top European clubs so shouldn't be short of potential suitors.

#4 Andre Gomes

Gomes has cut a frustrated figure since arriving at Barcelona

The tall Portuguese international has become something of a comical figure for Barcelona fans and neutrals alike which should tell you all you need to know about his performances since joining the club.

Gomes appears to possess all the qualities necessary to be an elite midfielder but it just never comes together: he's powerful, athletic, has good feet, good passing ability but too often he goes completely missing in games. Players like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have been noticed acting angrily at a misplaced Gomes pass or a Gomes mistake.

It must be stressed that the player is still only 24 and still has some time to go to reach his peak but the sense is that he'd be better off moving to a different club to recover his career.

Barcelona's signing of Philippe Coutinho also will restrict Gomes further, considering they both operate in similar positions. If he wants to remain in the Portugal national team, he may have to move to make more of an impression by playing regularly.

#3 Paco Alcacer

The Spaniard hasn't looked like threatening Luis Suarez for a starting place

The former Valencia striker was signed for an obvious purpose last season, to provide backup for a tired Luis Suarez, but Alcacer just hasn't done enough when called upon. He scored 8 goals last season at that club, but only has 13 in total in his year and a half-long stint at the Camp Nou so far.

Once regarded as Spain's future main front man, Alcacer has struggled even making appearances from the bench for his club this season.

It's unfortunate for the player and says a lot about how difficult it is to get into a rhythm with other attacking players when one not in the starting lineup. Alcacer is also just 24 and can definitely find form again but it seems unlikely that he'll fit into Barcelona's team anytime soon.

Plenty of Spanish teams would be interested in him, perhaps even his old club Valencia, so Alcacer would be better off leaving when he can still command a decent price.

#2 Thomas Vermaelen

Who knows what could have been if Vermaelen had steered clear of injury

The Belgian defender has been so unlucky with injuries since joining the club from Arsenal. He's managed only 19 league appearances in 3 seasons, never getting the chance to show his best ability.

It must be mentioned how well Vermaelen played when called upon against Real Madrid in December in the 3-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu; he was solid and comfortable beside Gerard Pique, restricting Madrid's attackers to poor shooting opportunities. There is a world-class defender in Vermaelen but, at 32, his time may have gone.

Yerry Mina has arrived in January from Palmeiras to challenge for the centre-back position so Vermaelen has even more competition. Barcelona just let Javier Mascherano go, their legendary centre-back, because of his age and declining quality, so it seems obvious that Vermaelen will follow suit.

#1 Sergi Samper

Samper has struggled to find his place in Barcelona's first team

This player has been heralded as Sergio Busquets' heir for a few seasons now but it's not materialized yet. A defensive midfielder of similar height and style, Samper hasn't made the step up to the first team like Busquets had by this age. He has gone out on successive loans, to Granada and Las Palmas respectively, without impressing extensively.

Busquets has also been at his finest this season and looks to have many more years at the highest level left, meaning Samper's direct route to the first team is blocked for the foreseeable future.

At 23, the player should be looking for another La Liga club, on a permanent basis, to see his career hopefully flourish. The talent is there, he just needs the platform to prove it.