The five players Barcelona could sign to replace Busquets

Stuart Telford

• 11 May 2023 16:35 BST
• 4 min read

Sergio Busquets has announced that the current season will be his last at Barcelona. Whom might the Blaugrana sign to replace him?

Busquets will bring the curtain down on 15 glittering seasons in Barca's first team, during which he has won eight - soon to be nine - La Ligas and three Champions Leagues, as well as re-defining the role of a defensive midfielder.

Busquets looks bound for Saudi Arabia, and replacing the 143-time Spain international will be no mean feat. He is a unique proposition, for one, but Barca are also hamstrung by the fact that they need to find €200 million to play in La Liga next season.

READ: Sergio Busquets makes final decision on Barcelona future

They are also trying to bring Lionel Messi back to the club and already have Frenkie de Jong on the books, so free transfers, swaps or loans would appear to be the order of the day.

FootballTransfers looks at five possible arrivals at Camp Nou this summer…

Ilkay Gundogan

Ilkay Gundogan looks to be the most likely midfield signing at Barcelona this summer. The Germany international is highly rated by the club and, crucially, available on a free transfer with his contract at Manchester City expiring in June.

Gundogan may not be a like-for-like replacement for Busquets - he often operates higher and scored 13 Premier League goals the season before last - but he can also operate as a deep-lying midfield metronome.

READ: Man City star wants Barcelona move

Marcelo Brozovic

Marcelo Brozovic perhaps has more steel and less silk than Busquets, but his ability to anchor the midfield would free De Jong up to play further forward, and there could be an avenue to signing the Inter Milan enforcer despite his current deal running until 2026.

Brozovic has fallen behind Hakan Calhanoglu - who has been reimagined as a deep-lying playmaker - at Inter, while they are interested in bringing former AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie back to the San Siro from Barca. A swap deal is on the cards.

Sofyan Amrabat

Sofyan Amrabat's signature is decidedly less likely than either of the above players', with Fiorentina only interested in a straight up cash deal for their Morocco World Cup star - making a transfer to the Premier League more likely.

However, Amrabat was spotted at Camp Nou as Barca beat Getafe 1-0 in January, and his brother and agent later admitted that he wanted the move. Fiorentina rejected a loan with an option to buy, but their bargaining position is growing weaker with Amrabat out of contract in the summer of 2024.

Ruben Neves

Wolverhampton want to sign Ansu Fati from Barca and Ruben Nevers has been offered in part-exchange, with Jorge Mendes - agent to both players - looking to facilitate the deal.

It is understood Xavi has doubts about the Portuguese's tactical fit, however, and Barca need the capital up front for a player like Ansu as they try to pull away from financial oblivion.

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Martin Zubimendi

Martin Zubimendi is a Barca favourite, the Real Sociedad midfielder who has a similar playing style to Xavi himself, although his €60m release clause will be a problem this summer, if not next, for the Blaugrana.

Arsenal have emerged as frontrunners for Zubimendi, so despite the fact he is on Barca's shortlist, ha has to go down as the least likely arrival from this list at Camp Nou this summer.