0:
FC Barcelona has been in turmoil on and off the field. On the pitch, the club had a terrible start to their campaign last season when they languished 13th in the La Liga table after the first few match days. Barcelona had to sack their then-coach, Ronald Koeman, and club legend Xavi Hernandez was roped in. Since Xavi's arrival, things have started to take a positive turn at the club. The club finished in 2nd place in the La Liga by the end of the last season. The dressing room, which was reported to be an unhappy place, turned happy and started performing as one complete unit.
But Barcelona's problems were not just on the field, they were off the field too. Their biggest hurdle off the field is their delicate financial situation. Barca is trapped in a big debt trap and management is trying its best to resolve it. Last month, they announced a big sponsorship deal with Spotify, which provided them with some relief.
Now that the transfer window is wide open and clubs can sign new players to reinforce their teams, Barcelona is actively looking out for signings. But yet again, due to the La Liga restrictions in place, Barcelona cannot sign a player unless they offload some of their existing players and generate some much-needed revenue. The easiest way to do so is by selling a player, Franke De Jong. Barcelona is actively trying to sell De Jong to Manchester United for 65 million, and the transfer saga is ongoing.
Now here, let's look into players who can replace Frenkie de Jong if he leaves FC Barcelona.
1. Carlos Soler
The Valencia midfielder could be a perfect option to replace De Jong in that Barca midfield. The 25-year-old has been in excellent form for Valencia. Soler is a creative midfielder who can also drive the ball in and can take those darting runs into the box, creating an additional option for the team inside the box. Carlos Soler might not be that expensive, and Barcelona might get him for under 30 million.
2. Bernardo Silva
He has been linked with a move away from Manchester City and, according to reports, his favoured destination is FC Barcelona. Silva would be a different type of midfielder to De Jong but would certainly fit into Xavi's midfield. The Portuguese international can add that cutting edge to the Xavi team. Bernardo Silva is perfectly capable of playing on the right-hand side of that midfield alongside Pedri.
The only hindrance in Silva moving to Camp Nou will be the hefty transfer fee. Manchester City will not allow Silva to leave for anything below 50 million, and Barcelona will not match that asking price in their current situation. But then again, you never know what can happen over here and we might see Bernardo Silva in a Barca shirt by the end of this window.
3. Franck Kessie
This could be possible, a like-for-like replacement for Frenkie De Jong. The Ivory Coast international can perfectly fit into the Xavi squad and play both roles as sole CDM, being the link between attack and defence, or as interior CM, providing those defence-splitting passes. Kessie can have the ability to move forward and also take those darting runs into the box, providing an extra attacking option.
Kessie has played in both roles at his current club, AC Milan, and has excelled in those roles time and again. Another added advantage for Barcelona would be that Kessie's contract is expiring and he can be signed in as a free agent.
4. Christian Eriksen
Another name which has been popping up is that of former Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen. Eriksen has had a journey of his own. He was the star man at Spurs a few seasons back then decided to move to Inter where he was just settling in and then that horrific incident happened at Euros last year. While playing for his nation Denmark, where he had a heart attack and was given CPR on the field.
Since that time, Eriksen has been in recovery mode. He was declared fit to play in free months but with a pacemaker installed near his heart. According to Italian league rules, players with pacemakers aren't allowed to play, so he was forced to move to Brentford, a newly promoted Premier League club, last season.
Since joining Brentford, Eriksen has returned to his own and has been performing well for his team. Since joining back in January 2022, Eriksen has scored 1 goal and provided 5 assists for Brentford. Even though he is not a like-for-like replacement for departing De Jong, Eriksen is used to playing in that deeper role since his time at Spurs and plus his history with Ajax and their academy can certainly help him at Barcelona.
5. Fabian Ruiz
Another player who fits into the Xavi style of play and the Barcelona set-up is Spanish international Fabian Ruiz. Ruiz initially played at Real Betis and knows the Spanish League in and out. Since then, Ruiz has established himself as one of the finest playmakers in European football.
Barcelona has been admirers of Ruiz for a long time and wanted to get him, but Napoli, his current club, was in no mood to sell their star player. With Ruiz entering his final year of contract at Napoli, things might swing in Barcelona's favour. With just one year remaining on his contract and no extension talks taking place, Barcelona might advance in their pursuit of Fabian Ruiz and might get away with a 40 million transfer fee for him.