A new era beckons for Barcelona with Lionel Messi succeeding the departed Andres Iniesta as club captain, but with the talent in support, boss Ernesto Valverde will hope for more of the same.
The Blaugrana will begin preparations for their La Liga defence with a pre-season tour of the United States and will kick off their schedule against Premier League side Tottenham in California on July 28.
So, with that in mind, we examine some of the key issues for Valverde over the next few weeks.
NEW SEASON AND A NEW FORMATION
The Barcelona identity is entwined with a 4-3-3 formation with much of their success in the modern era owed to variants of the system.
However, Valverde took a massive step away from the shape and instead opted for a more pragmatic 4-4-2 last season with Messi afforded a free role to both create and destroy.
While domestically it was effective, the step up in class and difficulty on the European stage means a return to 4-3-3 is necessary and it is of course why Barca splurged a club-record fee on Philippe Coutinho.
The Brazilian’s versatility to play as either an attacking midfielder in the central three or on either side of the front trio will lend well to the shape.
Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic require a forward-thinking creative player in alongside them while further up the pitch Messi and Luis Suarez will benefit from Coutinho’s sorcery.
His position will largely depend on any signings brought into the club – Chelsea’s Willian is reportedly their number one priority while young midfielder Arthur Melo will require time to assimilate – and what Valverde has planned for Ousmane Dembele.
THE DEMBELE DILEMMA
And so we move onto the World-Cup winning Dembele. Patience is not a virtue gifted to big-money signings and the £135.5 million fee became a vice grip around the neck of the winger, strangling his opportunity to make a true impact last season.
Still just 21, though, he has much to learn but also so much to give and his importance to Barcelona next season can’t be understated. If Valverde does indeed switch to a 4-3-3, Dembele is a raw talent who must be weaponised.
His direct style and piercing pace provide a fine option to work in the front three and if he can demonstrate consistent results, the side will be far more balanced for his inclusion.
On his game, Dembele is a one-man overload for full-backs and his speed draws centre-backs out of position which frees up space for Messi and Suarez. Recycling possession with care is one area he must improve but an injury-free run will help in that regard.
He has all the tools to be a central figure for Barcelona, which is part of the reason why fans are so desperate for him to fulfill that potential, and perhaps with a mix of trust and a bit of love, he can be a success.
Certainly talk of sending him out on loan is nonsensical anyway.
MIDFIELD RECRUITMENT
The strategy for Barca is to cut down the fringe-player pile rather than allowing those at the top like Dembele to exit.
Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina, Paco Alcacer, Aleix Vidal and Lucas Digne are among the names who could join Paulinho in leaving Camp Nou this summer.
With Iniesta gone as well, that does mean Valverde is a little short on options in the middle and it could see him dip into market despite Arthur’s arrival.
The 21-year-old will need time to integrate and with Ivan Rakitic likely exhausted from an energy-sapping World Cup campaign with Croatia, Barcelona need to bring in at least one more body.
They must choose wisely, though. Miralem Pjanic, Frenkie De Jong, N’Golo Kante, Adrien Rabiot, Christian Eriksen and Thiago Alcantara have all been linked but nothing is set in stone.
Valverde requires a technical talent rather than physical prowess, which is why Paulinho was allowed to depart, and one player who could fit the bill is Rabiot.
The 23-year-old already has a ringing endorsement from a Barca icon.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Xavi said of Rabiot: “He’s a player of an excellent level technically.
“He could play perfectly as a central midfielder at Barca. He could contribute a lot, but that’s already entering the realms of speculation.
“I’ve been asked a lot about [Antoine] Griezmann this summer and, in the end, he stayed at Atletico. But if Rabiot comes, he’d be a great signing.”
