5 possible replacements for Barcelona's Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique is one the best defenders in the world and is also a key figure at FC Barcelona ever since he returned to the club from Manchester United in 2008.
The Spaniard played 460 times for the club so far and helped Barcelona win seven La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies along with six Copa del Rey and three FIFA Club World Cup. He was a part of the FIFPro World XI on four occasions and also won the LaLiga best defender during the 2009-10 season.
However, the Spanish defender is now 31 years old and his level will only decrease from now on. Barcelona cannot afford to depend on him for long and need a new centre-back to replace their superstar.
Right on this note, here is a list of five centre-backs who can potentially replace Gerard Pique at Barcelona.
#1 John Stones
John Stones is one of the best English defenders right now and is in a fine form since moving to Manchester City from Everton in the summer transfer window of 2016.
The 24-year old is among the best ball-playing defenders in the world and would be a natural fit in Barcelona's possession-based style of play. He does not rush into tackles and always keeps his calm during the crucial moments, which makes him difficult to beat in one on one situations.
John Stones played 81 games in all competitions for the Cityzens thus far and won one Premier League title along with one EFL CUP and FA Community Shield. He was also among England's best performers during the FIFA World Cup 2018 and helped his team reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
The former Barcelona and now Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola compared John Stones with Pique and the Blaugrana can trust their legendary manager in finding the candidate to drive the team forward after the peak years of their defender.
All Stats via- transfermarket.com