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FC Barcelona (Blaugrana) been virtually unstoppable this season - losing only once since August last year, to Espanyol.
Right now, they are on course to win another treble, leading La Liga comfortably and in the Copa Del Rey final against an out of form Sevilla. The club are also in a secure position against Chelsea in the Champions League.
Real Madrid (Los Blancos), their rivals, on the other hand, are 15 points behind the Blaugrana and were knocked out of the Copa Del Rey by Leganes, a massive fall from grace from their Champions League winning form from last season.
To get their form back, Real Madrid is expected to make several Galactico signings, with the likes of Sergej Milinkovic Savic, Eden Hazard, and David De Gea rumored to join Los Blancos, as reported by the Daily Star.
Barcelona is believed to follow Real Madrid in making huge summer signings to make sure they don't end up like Madrid this season. Here are 5 signings FC Barcelona will probably make in the 2018 summer transfer window.
#5 Malang Sarr
Malang Sarr has been on fire in recent years, playing a critical role in OGC Nice's defense, and he is only 19 years old. He is one of the hottest prospects in the center-back position, and major European clubs such as Chelsea, Juventus, PSG, and Manchester United are keen on signing him next season.
However, Barca are favorites to land the French International, with the club prepared to offer a deal this summer.
One thing that might affect the transfer from happening is the rough dealings the side has had with OGC Nice in the past; Jean Michael Seri was widely expected to join the Catalan club this past summer, but the €40m deal fell through unexpectedly, bruising the relationship between the two sides.
According to the reputable publication Sport, the Blaugrana will probably make an offer for Sarr in the summer, somewhere in the range of €20 million.
The La Liga leaders have a problem in the center-back position, as two of their 4 players in that position, in Thomas Vermaelen and Gerard Pique are over the age of 30, and are very injury prone. The addition of Sarr would strengthen them in defense, and let the likes of Vermaelen and Pique get some much needed rest.
#4 Matthijs de Ligt
The second teenage center-back on this list, de Ligt might be among the best defensive prospects in the world. At the age of 18, he has become a regular for both Ajax and the Dutch national team.
Tall, two-footed, a fantastic passer, physical, and very comfortable on the ball, de Ligt has everything it takes to become a Barcelona player. In addition to this, the player himself is open to joining the Spanish giants, with reports saying that he is "keen" on joining a bigger team.
The player's agent has said that he wants to stay at Ajax until the end of the season, so it is likely he'd want to move in the summer window. The Catalan side, as reported by The Week, is expected to make an offer for the center-back in the region of €20 million this summer for a player, who is seen as a potential replacement for Pique.
#3 Alvaro Odriozola
Barcelona has had a problem in the right-back position ever since Dani Alves left in 2016. Nelson Semedo was bought last summer and has been performing well, but there isn't another traditional right-back in the squad; as a result, Sergi Roberto, a natural central midfielder, has been forced to move into the role. Alvaro Odriozola could solve that problem.
With a 35 million Euro release clause which can easily be matched by the La Liga leaders, Odriozola is Spain's go-to right-back, and it's easy to see why. Like a natural defender would, he has superb defending skills, and in addition to that, he has great passing, dribbling, and tons of pace to go down the flank, like a true Barcelona full-back would.
And according to the Express, a number of players want him to join, including Lionel Messi. Odriozola is said to be keen to join the Catalan giants, so all that needs to be done at this point is for Barcelona to pay his release clause.
If he were to join Barca, he might not become the first-choice right-back straight away considering Semedo's skills, but his arrival would mean that Sergi Roberto would be able to move up to midfield, which would be benign to both the club and the player's development.
#2 Arthur Melo
This transfer is all but confirmed; according to OneFootball, Gremio is very close to reaching a deal with Barcelona, somewhere in excess of £40 million for Arthur, the midfielder who has garnered comparisons to Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, for his vision and passing skills which shows semblance to the Barca captain as a young player.
The player was named "Serie A's Newcomer of the Year", and was the key factor behind the Imortal Tricolor's Copa Libertadores win in 2017. Even better, Arthur is still only 21 years of age, meaning that his best years are ahead of him, and a deal in the summer could guarantee at least 10 more years at the highest level. This would be an amazing buy for Barcelona, who want to look into the future in order to replace their aging squad.
#1 Antoine Griezmann
At this point, everyone knows who Antoine Griezmann is. The French International is widely considered to be one of the best forwards in the world, with quality vision, technique, and finishing, along with a bag of pace. He has struggled for form in the first half of the season, but he has recovered in style, bagging 8 goals in the 4 games he played in February.
According to Goal, Barcelona will bag the Atletico center-forward by paying his £88 million release clause this summer. Griezmann is open to the move, and in the current market, the deal is an absolute steal considering the player's talents and marketability.
His addition to the squad would most definitely let the likes of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi rest, and increase the depth of the Barcelona attack, which is much needed, as beyond Suarez, Messi, and Dembele, Barcelona don't have much in terms of forwards (except for mediocre players like Paco Alcacer and Aleix Vidal).
