The Barcelona changing room will look quite different next season, with the departure of two club legends imminent. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets will have new clubs for the 2023-24 campaign, with the latter playing a significant part in the holding midfield role for Barça since 2008. They will now look to find a suitable replacement for the outgoing Busquets.
Busquets spent his entire senior career with the Catalan club, where he etched his name into Spanish football history as he is widely regarded as one of the greatest holding midfield players of all time. The 34-year-old made 481 appearances for Barça lifting a staggering 29 trophies within that time.
Who would be a suitable replacement for Busquets?
Joshua Kimmich is a standout candidate for the deep-lying midfielder role, but it would be a tough task to lure the German international away from Bayern Munich. His style of play is a close replication to that of Busquets, making a career out of being tactically aware of all situations and being successful at ball retention.
Another possible target to replace Busquets could be Sofyan Amrabat. The Morocco midfielder enjoyed a remarkable season, reaching the World Cup semi-final in Qatar in the winter. With Fiorentina failing to qualify for Europe for the 2023-24 campaign, the 26-year-old is refusing to sign a contract extension beyond 2024. Marca report that the Italian club are willing to sell the player for around €20m.
Jake Staniland | GSFN
