How Barcelona may look next season as they prepare to splash the cash

Erling Haaland leading the line, two current Chelsea defenders and teen sensations Pedri and Gavi ushering in a new era… as Barca look to splash the cash, how could they line up next season?

  • Barcelona are poised to commit to a big rebuild this summer in a bid to improve 
  • Club president Joan Laporta wants to make Erling Haaland his marquee signing 
  • Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen, both of Chelsea, are also targets 
  • Franck Kessie is viewed as the perfect box-to-box midfielder for manager Xavi
  • Here, Sportsmail takes a detailed look at how the team may line up next season 

Barcelona want to go all-in for a summer rebuild that will leave them back among the contenders to win the Champions League, far from the backwaters of the Europa League where they face Galatasaray on Thursday.

And the club’s president Joan Laporta has made no secret of wanting to make Erling Haaland the marquee signing of his second era as club president.

Coach Xavi sees the Norwegian playing between Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati in Barcelona’s first choice front three but if Haaland chooses Manchester City, as some directors at the Nou Camp fear, then it could be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who goes from being out in the cold at Arsenal to leading Barcelona into next season.

Erling Haaland could lead the line for Barcelona next season if they are able to snap him up

Xavi’s team is set to look different after a busy summer which will see them splash the cash

Xavi also wants a six-man squad of midfielders from which he will pick three. And a defence, bolstered by the arrivals of two Chelsea defenders. One who has already agreed to sign and another still considering his options.

Laporta has admitted Halaand will cost the club around £210milllion (€250m) in total, including wages, commission and £63m (€75m) for Borussia Dortmund in transfer fee.

If they accept a version of the deal LaLiga has made with investment fund CVC, and that they turned down earlier this season, it will allow them to benefit from a big cash injection (and not lose face having negotiated a smaller portion of television revenue lost in the future). 

Joan Laporta has made no secret of his desire to make striker Haaland his marquee signing

Cesar Azpilicueta is a target for the Catalans and he is currently considering his Chelsea future

They are also still trying to sell stakes in various arms of the club such as Barca Studios, and are still closing a deal for Spotify to sponsor the stadium.

In spite of all that, Manchester City can offer more for Halaand and while Laporta has publicly talked up the possibility and met with the player and his agent Mino Raiola, he knows Haaland will have to be seduced by the idea of being one half of the new Messi-Ronaldo rivalry in LaLiga, with Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid and himself at Barca, if he is to agree to come.

If his decision is a straightforward one about money and trophies then Manchester City are the favourites.

In midfield Xavi wants a box-to-box athlete and the club see Franck Kessie as a the perfect player to arrive from Milan on a free and compete for places with Gavi, Pedri, Nico, Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets.

Franck Kessie is viewed as the perfect box-to-box addition and he may be available for nothing

At the back Andreas Christensen has agreed to join, but his Chelsea team-mate Cesar Azpilicueta is not likely to make a decision until next month. There is no question that Xavi wants him – he called him in January but the Chelsea captain turned down the offer of a move in the winter window. 

Off the pitch Azpilicueta’s family are very happy in London. On it he has to consider what’s best for him in a World Cup season. Barcelona are also looking at right back Noussair Mazraoui and left back Jose Gaya.

There will be no ins without outs and the club have decided not to close the door on the departure of Ronald Araujo. The 23-year-old Uruguayan is out of contract at the end of next season and if he doesn’t sign a new deal this summer then they will be open to offers. 

All of Europe’s top clubs are likely to look at a defender who Barcelona will struggle to ask much more than £29m (€35m) for because he will be in his final year.

Another Chelsea defender, Andreas Christensen, has agreed to join Barcelona for next season

The crown jewels in midfield are not for sale, however, with 17-year-old Gavi likely to be offered a new deal until 2026 and Pedri and Nico also seen as the future of the club and not transferable.

Their young midfield team-mate Riqui Puig still struggles for minutes and will be moved out if the right club can be found for him. 

Reports this week suggested Wolves could take him as part of a deal that sees Francisco Trincao stay at Molineux and Adama Traore move permanently to Barcelona. Without such an exchange of players Barcelona will not take up a buy option on the winger for all that he has impressed so far.

When he arrived in January with Aubameyang and Torres goals were predicted and the Premier League signings have not disappointed. If Haaland can’t be bought then Aubameyang’s importance will be carried into next season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will likely be the club’s main striker if they fail to sign Haaland

As with his midfield three, Xavi wants six options in attack. Haaland, Torres, Fati, Aubameyang, Traore and Memphis Depay is seen as the strongest six. Martin Braihwaite and Luuk de Jong will have to find a new club despite having done a job whenever called upon since arriving under previous coaches.

The big doubt is Dembele. If his current form remains at the same level until the end of the season then the club would be open to sitting down with his agent Moussa Sissoko again. 

If the Haaland transfer has been lost to City then there might even be more money to go towards an offer, that tops the one that was turned down this season – that is certainly what the player’s camp are hoping for.

There are question marks over Ousmane Dembele, who has previously came close to leaving

But if Haaland comes in as top earner then there will be no change in what the club are willing to pay the player and he will leave for free.

There remain more questions than answers as to how the team will look next season but one thing is clear. 

With president Laporta and coach Xavi working with Jordi Cruyff and Mateu Alemany on building a new Barca there is a freshness and optimism not seen at the club since the arrival of Neymar in 2013.

HOW COULD BARCA LINE UP?

Ter Stegen

Azpilicueta/Mazraoui, Pique, Araujo/Christensen, Alba

Pedri, De Jong, Gavi

Torres, Haaland/Aubameyang, Fati




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