'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABv/aAAgBAQAAAAAQj//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/2gAIAQIQAAAAR//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/2gAIAQMQAAAAP//EAB8QAAICAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEAxIFAhFhgQAGE//aAAgBAQABPwDD+0vuuZFqTIt7xIu5GlRX6aZabcig6JParsoVhEaGKoNArZex25J8/8QAFxEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMAEv/aAAgBAgEBPwCB1RHf/8QAGBEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAyH/2gAIAQMBAT8AveVXD//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona are currently in a very delicate situation. The club's financial predicament is affecting their day-to-day functioning. As a direct consequence of their economic plight, Barcelona haven't been able to register any new summer signings. Furthermore, for the first time in his career, Lionel Messi is not contracted to any club at the time of writing. Adding the recent conclusion of the two major international tournaments to the mix, only a select set of players are available to appear for Barcelona in their pre-season. While this period of time is crucial for new players to settle in, the Catalan club will have to make do with what they have.
With their pre-season schedule already announced, Barcelona will have 20 players to choose a starting XI from. Out of this pool, 9 players are with the first team and the remaining 11 are currently employed at the B team. The Catalan giants will host their first two friendlies at the Johan Cruyff stadium, kicking off their practice-run on the 21st of July against Nàstic de Tarragona.
Barcelona's pre-season fixtures:
After tussling with the aforementioned Nàstic de Tarragona, Barcelona will face their Catalan neighbors, Girona, on the 24th of July. They will travel to Germany to face Stuttgart on July 31st, before competing for the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 8th. Their opponents in the coveted fixture will be none other than Juventus, who are experiencing a transitional period of their own, having just replaced club-legend Andrea Pirlo with former coach Massimiliano Allegri as their manager.
Even though Barcelona have limited options to choose from, the players who are available for selection have issues of their own. While promising youngsters Ilaix Moriba and Alejandro Balde have been left out due to contractual disagreements, as many as 4 first-team members are on the treatment table. However, amidst this financial mess, no player's position at the Camp Nou is considered to be safe. The fact that the two most expensive Barcelona signings, namely Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho, are the favorites to leave, is a testament to this claim. In this whirlwind of chaos, let's take a look at 5 players who have the most to prove, should they wish to extend their stay in Catalonia.
#5 Gerard Piqué
In the 17 years of his professional career, Piqué has amassed a total of 37 trophies for both club and country. He has won almost everything a footballer can dream of winning. The Spaniard has been at the heart of Barcelona's defence, ever since he rejoined his boyhood club from Manchester United back in 2008.
Nevertheless, Pique has started showing signs of slowing down. He is no longer in peak physical condition, as exhibited by his growing impairment record. The defender only managed to make 24 appearances in an injury-riddled season last term. This factor has directly affected his output on the field. The inconsistencies in his game have never been more apparent. Even when fit, Pique has been in and out of the squad, with newbies Oscar Mingueza and Ronald Araujo imparting much more conviction and sure-footedness.
At 34 years of age, Pique is not getting any younger. With the acquisition of Eric Garcia, a ball-playing central defender similar to him, the veteran can see his playing time reduced even further. Due to on-field as well as off-field maneuvers, the World Cup-winner's legendary status at Camp Nou will always remain unparalleled. But he needs to have a better-than-average pre-season if he wants to hold his current position.
#4 Sergi Roberto
Sergi Roberto has been at Barcelona ever since he signed with the first team in 2010. However, one can argue that the utility man has been a victim of his own versatility. The Spanish international was the preferred right-back under Luis Enrique. His pace, passing abilities and relentless work rate cemented his position as one of the first names on the team-sheet. But his output has experienced a steep decline, ever since Lucho left the club in 2017. Roberto lost his place to Nelson Semedo the following season and has only played a bit-part role under Koeman, who prefers to play a much more energetic Sergino Dest on the right flank.
There are talks going on to use the 29-year-old defender as a bargaining chip to make way for new signings. According to Mundo Deportivo, Sergi Roberto will be given a one-year extension on his current contract with Barcelona, which is due to expire in 2022. However, the major motivation behind this supposed deal is to avoid losing a profitable asset on a free transfer, rather than keeping the player around for his services.
Barcelona recently secured the signature of Emerson Royal from Real Betis, ending Roberto's bid for that position in theory at least. With the midfield already stocked and rumors of a potential Saul-Griezmann swap deal growing stronger day by day, Roberto's stay at the Catalan club could finally end after 15 years. Hence, the Reus-born defender needs to impress in pre-season if he is to continue with Barcelona.
#3 Samuel Umtiti
Arguably the most expendable player at Barcelona right now, Umtiti has experienced a downfall of epic proportions. After being a regular starter at defence, just 3 years back, Umtiti is now a shadow of his former self. Newcomer Eric Garcia is not even a registered player for Barcelona presently, but it is safe to assume that the French defender is already behind him in the pecking order.
However, the most unfathomable outcome of this unfortunate ordeal is that Umtiti is earning an annual salary that is more than his current market value. The 27-year-old defender collects a pay check of €12m every year while his market value has dropped to €11m as of now. This fact is hurting his current employers more than his constant unavailability.
Big Sam's never-ending struggles with injuries have been a prominent factor in his ousting. He was even subject to a proposal, where Barcelona offered to terminate his contract by mutual agreement. Yet Umtiti decided not to comply.
Barcelona's desperate need to recruit defenders is the only string of hope for the Cameroon-born athlete. Even though he seems to be past his prime, at such a young age, if he can display a fraction of his past performances in pre-season, Barca might just hang onto him as a viable squad player, though, on much less wages.
#2 Alex Collado
The only player from Barcelona B on this list, Alex Collado was only named captain of the third-tier side last season. But the 22-year-old winger has proved to be too good for his division with his stellar performances. Having only played twice for Barcelona, Collado is deemed ready by his superiors to join the first team if reports are to be believed. With Francisco Trincao having departed the club on loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the La Masia graduate could be his ideal replacement.
The only roadblock to his expected rise to prominence could be the sheer number of attacking options Barcelona possesses at the moment. With the addition of Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero, and the return of Ansu Fati, the Blaugrana have at least 7 offensive players, excluding Collado, and just 3 positions to play them in. These kinds of selection headaches may be beneficial for the club, but will only hamper the progress of players who aren't utilized.
In order to make the right wing position his own and eventually try and succeed Messi at Barcelona in the long term, Alex Collado has to prove a lot of doubters wrong and a formidable pre-season with the first team would be a good place to start.
#1 Riqui Puig
At the center of all the selection debates, Riqui Puig has had the trickiest season of them all. While clearly skilled, Puig started a meager 3 games for Barcelona in Koeman's first year at the helm, with a further 20 substitute appearances that mostly came in the final moments of the match. The La Masia graduate has shown glimpses of his talent and in those moments of brilliance, has managed to win over the majority of fans. However, owing to some differences with Koeman, the Spanish midfielder has hardly received a chance to make his mark at Barcelona.
The Dutch manager has insisted that he has 'nothing against' Puig, stating:
"I have nothing against Riqui Puig. We have very young players like Konrad, Matheus and Junior who don’t have many minutes, but you always think I’m talking about Riqui. I have no problem with him, we talk often. His future? He has to decide."
The naturally gifted playmaker has stupendous dribbling abilities and can also hold the ball during build-up play. An active progressor of the ball, Puig managed to maintain a 91.6 pass success percentage in the limited game-time he was designated.
This comes off as a special case where a player is adamant to stay even though his manager clearly doesn't fancy him a lot. Therefore, Puig has more to prove to Koeman than the Barcelona hierarchy as it is evident that the youngster already has Joan Laporta's backing to his advantage.
With Koeman's future more uncertain than Puig's, it would be interesting to see how their relationship develops down the line. Nevertheless, this pre-season might be the 22-year-old midfielder's best chance to impress his boss and solidify his position prior to the commencement of the 2021/22 season.
