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Barcelona captain Carles Puyol recently announced that he would be leaving Barcelona at the end of the current season.The 36 year old is one of the longest serving players in the clubs history. His 19 year association with the club will bring an end to a career that has seen him win three Champions League titles,six Spanish League titles, two Spanish cups and two FIFA club world cups.Known for his no-nonsense and marauding style of defending, he would be remembered as one of the greatest defenders and captains to represent the Catalan club.The past 2 years have been a nightmare with the recurrent knee problems and surgeries leading to loss of form and him becoming a shadow of his former self. His 100% commitment, captaincy and combative spirit will be missed sorely by the club. It will be a huge task replacing the Beast and is something that the club will have to seriously start assessing right away.Lets take a look at 5 players who might be able to take Puyols place at the Camp Nou
#1 Mats Hummels
One of the most widely rated central defenders in Europe, Mats Hummels is a player who would be a natural replacement for Puyol. He has a perfect blend of physical stature, pace, aerial ability and a knack for scoring goals.
The 24-year-old center-back has long been considered a gem in Germany. He was an instrumental part in ensuring that Borussia Dortmund had the best defensive records in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 when the team conceded only 22 goals in the league.
He is known for his ball playing ability, having a very high pass percentage among his other peers and is an excellent man marker. He is renowned for his clean tackling which is evident from the fact that he has never been sent off till date.
He would be able to forge a formidable partnership with Gerard Pique who is considered one of his competitors in Europe’s elite category. Currently rated at £25m, he would be a prized catch
#2 David Luiz
Aged 26, David Luiz forms one of the most solid partnerships with Thiago Silva. However, he has not been the first choice for Chelsea this season with John Terry and Gary Cahill forming a defensive partnership that is hard to break.
He is one of the most attacking minded defenders in world football with an eye for the killer pass and goals. He is very similar to Puyol in his no nonsense defending approach while his marauding style is very effective in difficult games.
His weakness lies in defending set pieces which might not be an attractive proposition for Barcelona. However, his range of passing, his confidence on the ball and ability to play out of defence are qualities that are needed in this team.
He has been deployed regularly in the centre of the midfield this season at Chelsea which is not the position he seeks. With first team football promise and a role in the centre of defence, he could be prized away from Chelsea
#3 Daniel Agger
Linked and pursued by Barcelona for the past 2 years now, Daniel Agger also tops the list as a potential replacement for Puyol. He may not be in the same class as Hummels and Luiz but is still a very good defender if kept fit.
Agger would be a natural replacement as he operates in a Liverpool team whose mentality is to play possession and pressing based football. Comfortable on the ball, ability to dribble past players and to play out of defence are qualities best suited to thrive in the Catalan team. He is sound tactically and good aerially. Being a left footed player he can be a great foil to the right footed Pique
However, post injury his inability to defend against stronger and quicker opponents has been a major concern, which leads to the bigger worry, his tendency to get injured frequently.
With Brendan Rodgers losing confidence in him and looking to rebuild a team around Martin Skrtel and Mamodou Sakho, Agger might be a cheaper buy and so easy to pry away from Anfield
#4 Jan Vertonghen
Jan Vertonghen’s future has been topic of debate in recent weeks with speculations mounting that he might consider a move away from Tottenham if they fail to qualify for Champions League. Barcelona is rumored to be keeping tabs on his situation and would be willing to capture him as a replacement for Puyol.
Barcelona have reportedly considered Vertonghen for some time as they value his ability to build the game from the back. Although not in the same league as the others, he is still one of the most versatile defenders in the Premier League. He has been deployed quite frequently in the left back position this season to address the problems faced by Spurs this season. It is this versatility of his which is an attractive proposition for Barcelona.
He might be the cheapest of the lot should Barcelona consider buying him
#5 Marc Bartra
One of the immediate solutions to replacing Puyol might be looking within and this is where Marc Bartra comes in. He might be the least sensational as compared to the other candidates but he might be the long term fix that Barcelona is seeking.
The 23 year old Spaniard has established himself as the club’s third-choice centre-back this term, and he's made 21 appearances in all competitions. Barcelona has tied him down to a new contract which lasts till 2017 thereby ending any speculation that he might be sold.
He has a significant advantage over other contenders as he is a home grown talent and has risen through the ranks in the Catalan club like Puyol himself.
He has the rest of the season with important matches in the Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Cup final to stake a claim for the centre back position. It’s a big challenge for Bartra but he has already shown that he is capable of performing on the big stage.
