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Onana Thiago Rabiot Barcelona Getty/GOAL
Tom Hindle

Amadou Onana, Thiago Alcantara & the six players who could help rebuild Barcelona's unbalanced midfield this summer

Analysis
Barcelona
A. Onana
T. Alcantara
G. Lo Celso
M. Zubimendi
LaLiga
Transfers
A. Rabiot
Originals
Jorginho

Barcelona are in need of support in the engine room and they have some intriguing options to look into despite their money troubles

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The rumour mill never stops churning in Catalonia. For all of Barcelona's financial struggles and on-pitch mayhem, there is always a sense that they can be competitive in the transfer market.

And this summer is already looking like an interesting one. Barca are set up-front and at the back, but the engine room could be an issue. They have never found a true replacement for Sergio Busquets, and need a solid defensive midfield presence to fill that hole. Everton's Amadou Onana is the latest player linked, with the hard-working Belgium international viewed as a perfect fit at the base of the Blaugrana midfield. But he is one of a fair few who could be options for this side - regardless of who replaces Xavi as manager come the end of the season.

GOAL takes a closer look at some of Barca's midfield targets...

  • Amadou Onana Everton 2023-24Getty

    Amadou Onana (Everton)

    The latest in a slew of potential recruits ahead of what could be a busy summer, Onana would seem an interesting profile of player. He isn't much of a goalscorer. Nor is he the metronomic presence with perfect Spanish "pausa." Instead, he's a versatile option who can do a bit of everything, and is particularly handy in a tackle. According to FBRef, Onana is in the 86th percentile in tackles among all centre midfielders, and in the 93rd in headers won. He's also a sneakily good long passer, and at 22, could be molded into the No.6 that Barca have missed since Busquets departed for Inter Miami last summer.

    The asking price here will be hefty. Everton reportedly could ask for more than £90m ($114m), a fee that somehow now seems standard for a top class midfielder.

  • Rabiot JuventusGetty

    Adrien Rabiot (Juventus)

    A stalwart in Barca's list of midfield interests, Rabiot once again has been linked with a move to Catalonia this summer. The versatile midfielder nearly signed for Barca in 2019, but instead went to Juventus on a free transfer. And this summer, he could be available for free again, with the club already weighing up a two-year deal for the Frenchman, according to SPORT.

    The fit here is an interesting one. Rabiot is very much a box-to-box midfielder - and prefers to play in a role similar to that of Frenkie de Jong. But such is his skillset that there's reason to think he could plug holes elsewhere, in a similar fashion to summer recruit Ilkay Gundogan. And if they won't have to pay a transfer fee, then this looks like an increasingly enticing deal.

  • Thiago Alcantara Liverpool Arsenal Premier League 2023-24Getty

    Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool)

    Thiago's Liverpool career has fallen apart after a promising start. He played for the first time in almost a year in February, turning in a promising cameo before picking up yet another muscle issue. Jurgen Klopp suggested that Thiago might not be fit enough to play again this season and his Liverpool career seems to be over - despite his undeniable quality.

    The Spaniard reportedly had a chance to leave the club last summer, but spurned La Liga interest in favour of staying on Merseyside. Should Barca come in, though, it may be hard for him to say no. Thiago graduated from La Masia, and perhaps would have been a midfield stalwart for the Blaugrana had he not come through at the same time as Andres Iniesta and Xavi. Now, though, he could have a chance to return to his boyhood club, and enjoy a fine swansong. It could be the perfect ending.

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  • Martin Zubimendi Real Sociedad 2023-24 Champions LeagueGetty

    Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)

    Barca aren't the only team interested in Zubimendi, but they might be the one with the perfect pitch to bring him in. They need a successor to Busquets, and Zubimendi is the closest player to that out there. A similarly wiry centre-midfielder with excellent defensive stats, the Real Sociedad star is a dream fit in the Blaugrana midfield as a sole pivot - a perfect blend of off-ball nous and intelligence in possession. It helps, too, that Zubimendi has been at his best against Barca, having put in a standout display in a narrow defeat against Xavi's side in November.

    There is undoubtedly a financial issue here, though. La Real will want a hefty fee for one of their key players. Still, if the money becomes available, Zubimendi seems the most obvious way to spend it.

  • Jorginho(C)GettyImages

    Jorginho (Arsenal)

    Another midfield veteran, Jorginho's days in north London might be numbered. Although he has worked his way back into Mikel Arteta's plans in recent months with some impressive displays, he doesn't necessarily fit the high-energy, heavy-tackling type of No.6 that the Spanish manager requires. His game instincts, passing ability and understanding of space would, in fact, be perfect for the Spanish game.

    He's a very specific type of midfielder, a player who would undoubtedly function most effectively in a technical, possession-heavy team. And with Gavi, Pedri and Gundogan all strutting their stuff in Catalonia, Jorginho could be the ideal player to complement them. It helps, too, that he could be available on a free in June.

  • Lo CelsoGetty Images

    Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham)

    Lo Celso? Again?! The Argentine has reportedly been seeking a move away from north London for some time, and could have left in January had James Maddison not spent a spell on the sidelines. He seems like very much a Barca profile of player, a silky attacking midfielder with just enough work rate to keep the engine room ticking along.

    Both Xavi and Joan Laporta have, at various points, wanted to bring the World Cup winner to Catalonia and this summer might be an opportune time. He will have just one year remaining on his contract, with Spurs likely willing to cash in on the 27-year-old while they still can.

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