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Having ended the last campaign on a disappointing note, Barcelona are ready and raring to go into the next season.
The Spanish champions have signified their intent on conquering all before them, bringing in Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie de Jong for the combined total of €195m, while Neto and Junior Firpo were also added to fortify their backline.
There are a number of players who would be heading into the season with a point to prove, including the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele (if they stay), but there is arguably no one with more at stake than manager Ernesto Valverde.
Having overseen Barcelona's calamitous elimination at the hands of Liverpool in the Champions League last season, the 54-year-old saved his job by the whiskers and surely anything other than European glory would see him out of his job this term.
It is for this reason that the former Athletic Bilbao boss must get it right with his decisions from the bench, finding the right tactical balance to make the most of the abundance of players at his disposal.
Ultimately, the final decision on player selection and tactical implementations rests with Valverde, but in this piece, we shall be giving an insight into what Barcelona's ideal starting XI would look like next season.
Goalkeeper
Marc-Andre ter Stegen
There really is only one choice for the starting spot between the sticks at Barcelona, as despite not taking anything away from Neto's ability as an able shotstopper, Ter Stegen ranks high up there with the very best in the business.
The 27-year-old joined Barcelona in the summer of 2014 from Borussia Monchengladbach and despite initially rotating with Claudio Bravo for the number 1 spot, the German international soon made the role his own.
In his five year stay at Barcelona, Ter Stegen has been nothing short of phenomenal, with his sweeping abilities helping Barcelona press higher up the field, while his abilities with the ball at his feet have come in handy while launching attacks.
He has a very safe pair of hands and has rarely made mistakes in his Barcelona career, and the Catalans would be hoping he keeps up his high level of performance in the next season as it would be crucial to achieving their goals on all fronts.
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Defenders
Left-back - Jordi Alba
While Barcelona might have recently completed the purchase of the highly rated Junior Firpo from Real Betis, Valverde is likely to stick with Jordi Alba as his preferred first choice left-back next season.
With exactly 300 appearances in all competitions for the Blaugrana, Alba is one of the more experienced members of the squad, and Valverde would be counting on him to bring his experience to the fore next season.
Alba has bore the brunt of criticisms over the years due to his defensive shortcomings, but what he lacks in defensive prowess, he more than makes up for with his attacking contributions, while his almost telepathic on-field connection with Messi is priceless.
The arrival of Firpo would help ease the workload on the 30-year-old, leaving him fresh for Barcelona's assault in the home run of next season.
Left Centre-back - Clement Lenglet
Clement Lenglet was initially signed from Sevilla last season to act as an understudy to Samuel Umtiti, but an unfortunate long-term injury to his compatriot saw him handed his chance and despite initially struggling, he ended up impressing Valverde so much so that Umtiti was unable to reclaim his starting spot when he returned to full fitness.
He ended last season with 45 appearances in all competitions and won praise for his almost effortless complementing of Gerard Pique at the heart of defense, and fans of the Blaugrana would be hoping for more of the same this term.
Right Centre-back - Gerard Pique
A long-term servant of the club, Gerard Pique was blooded in the famed La Masia academy and ever since he made his return to the club from Manchester United in 2008, the 31-year-old has played his way into the annals of Barcelona's history as one of the greatest players to ever don the famous colors of the Blaugrana.
Pique has been a mainstay at the hart of defense for Barcelona throughout the club's most glorious period, and has partnered multiple men at the back from the legendary Carles Puyol to the now forgotten Marc Bartra, and he has held his own with distinction for over a decade.
Right-back - Sergi Roberto
This is a very tricky position as Barcelona have a specialist right-back in Nelson Semedo within their ranks.
The Portuguese international is one of the best in his position, but has found it hard to displace Sergi Roberto from the starting XI over the last two years, and the fact that the club were willing to use him as a makeshift to bring Griezmann or Neymar to the Nou Camp shows that he is not highly valued at the club..
Though primarily a midfielder, Roberto was converted into an auxiliary right-back and he has discharged his duties in his makeshift position with aplomb.
He has stated his desire to be deployed in his more natural position and Valverde has admitted to giving this some thought, but seeing the current Barcelona midfield overflowing with an abundance of talent, it is highly likely that the Spanish international would play as a right-back next season.
Midfielders
Holding Midfield - Sergio Busquets
There has unarguably been no better defensive midfielder than Sergio Busquets in the last decade, and while others in his trade deploy physicality and aggression to win back possession, Busquets goes about his job in a less dramatic but in a more effective way.
The 32-year-old is the very definition of cool, calm and collected and indeed it is easy to downplay his contributions to the Barcelona cause, but his importance is highlighted by how the team struggles in his absence.
He has shown a propensity for uncharacteristic errors in recent years which is only natural given his age and contributions over the years, but Busquets remains a very fine defensive midfielder and is still as important to Barcelona as he was 11 years ago when he made his debut.
Central Midfield - Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong became the latest in a long line of players to cross over from Ajax to Barcelona, and he would be hoping to emulate in the footsteps of some of his illustrious predecessors.
The 22-year-old had played a starring role for Ajax in their dream campaign last season, making 52 appearances in all competitions.
Supremely gifted with the ball at his feet and adept at possession play, the Dutch international would be an instant fit into the Barcelona midfield and has shown signs of his brilliance during preseason, while his versatility can see him being deployed in multiple roles through the middle.
Central Midfield - Arthur Melo
It is well known that Valverde is a pragmatic coach, which is why he has favoured Ivan Rakitic as the Croatian offers a work rate that is far higher than those posted by his colleagues in midfield.
However, there are indications that both him and another midfield powerhouse Arturo Vidal could be on their way out of the club, and this could pave the way for Arthur Melo to continue his upward trajectory at the Nou Camp.
The Brazilian international wowed everyone with his displays from the middle last season, drawing comparisons to Xavi Hernandez, and while he might not offer the same defensive solidity that Rakitic or Vidal offers, with him pulling the strings in the middle alongside Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona are sure to control proceedings.
Forwards
Left-wing Forward - Antoine Griezmann
Griezmann's belated Barcelona arrival finally happened in the middle of July when the club paid the full fee of his transfer clause valued at €120m.
The 28-year-old had starred for five seasons at Atletico Madrid, cementing his reputation as one of the best forwards in the world, and it is expected that he would perform at even higher levels given the increased demands and presence of superior players at the Camp Nou.
The World Cup winner has had a somewhat mixed pre-season till date, but it is hoped he would be firing on all cylinders by the time the season proper kicks off.
Griezmann would likely be slotted on the left hand of attack to complement Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, and while it might not be his preferred position, he could still cause opposition teams harm with his direct style of play.
Centre-forward - Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez has been nothing short of exceptional since arriving at Barcelona from Liverpool in 2014, scoring 177 goals from 247 matches in all competitions to help the Catalans to 13 major honours.
However, in recent times, the 32-year-old has shown signs of decline, and a case could be made for Valverde dropping him from the starting eleven next season.
Nevertheless, the Uruguayan international remains one of the elite strikers in the world and one of the dressing room leaders, while he is close friends with Messi.
Suarez would be charged with leading the line for at least one more season, and hopefully he would unleash the goalscoring beast that saw him win Golden Boots in three different countries.
Right-wing Forward - Lionel Messi
Is there still any adjective left to describe the mercurial Argentine? Lionel Messi is not just the best player of his generation, but arguably the greatest in history, and if Barcelona are to achieve their lofty ambitions then their captain would have a role to play in deciding their fate.
Once again, he would be deployed on the right-hand side of attack where he can cut in and use his devastating left foot. Although his role is ostensibly a free one as he has the license to go virtually anywhere on the field to make things happen for Barcelona.
Beneath is a graphical illustration of Barcelona's ideal starting 11 and formation for next season.
