Barcelona transfer news: Pique's five-man transfer list, Man City star almost joined Barca and more - 11th April 2018
Gerard Pique gives his five-man shortlist for the summer
The Blaugrana were on the receiving end of one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history as AS Roma clawed back a 4-1 deficit from the first leg to knock out the Catalan outfit from the competition.
While the club and the fans recover from the shock, central defender, Gerard Pique, believes the side's quality is not enough, as per Spanish new outlet, Don Balon.
Thus, the Spaniard has put forth a list of five players the club needs to sign this summer, as per the report.
First among them is the early arrival of Arthur Melo, who was expected to arrive next January, as Andres Iniesta looks likely to leave in the summer.
Next up is Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann as the Barcelona No.3 believes the club lack sufficient attacking quality after Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.
Further, Nelson Semedo is yet to impress and the 31-year old wants Real Sociedad full-back Alvaro Odriozola to replace the former.
Also, Jordi Alba does not have an able backup and Pique wants Chelsea star Marcos Alonso to move to Camp Nou.
Finally, the veteran defender wants Ajax's Matthijs De Ligt to join him in the heart of the defence with Yerry Mina expected to leave on loan.
While all the targets definitely make sense, it remains to be seen whether the Blaugrana can pull off each and every one of them.
RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano reveals Barcelona dream
The Frenchman has seen a swift rise in his fortunes this season as he became a regular at the German club.
Despite being 19 years of age, the youngster's stock has risen significantly that top European clubs are now monitoring the player.
Upamecano recently spoke about the interest and revealed his dreams when he said:
"As a youngster, you dream of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, but to get there, you have to work. I'm very proud of myself, very happy. I have to keep going in the same direction. I have to aim higher. My preference for the moment is Leipzig. Afterwards, we'll see."
Thus, the young defender remains humble while recognising the work he needs to put in to realize his dream.
Barcelona are currently running the risk of losing another Frenchman, Samuel Umtiti, and could potentially replace him with Upamecano.
The Catalan outfit are willing to pay up to £87 million, a steep price given his lack of experience.
Nevertheless, he could prove to be a huge long-term prospect for Ernesto Valverde if they can ward off competition and land him.
Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan almost joined Barcelona
The German has become a key player under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City this season but things could have been different for the former Borussia Dortmund man if Spanish transfer outlet Mundo Deportivo is to be believed.
The outlet claims that the 27-year old passed a medical to join Barcelona in 2015.
As per the report, Gundogan was all set to join the Blaugrana until then manager, Luis Enrique, pulled the plug on the deal as he wanted to sign Arda Turan instead.
In hindsight, the Turkish star proved to be a flop at Camp Nou as he struggled to adapt. Meanwhile, Gundogan became Guardiola's first signing at Manchester City and after overcoming injuries, he is really starting to deliver for the English side.
While there is no guarantee on how the German would have performed at Barcelona, there is no doubt that he would have been a quality addition to the ageing midfield.