5 Barcelona players who need to impress in pre-season
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.