This summer is expected to be a very busy one for Barcelona, as they look to improve their financial situation, while also trying to add sufficient reinforcements to Xavi Hernandez’s first team squad.
Earlier this week, Javier Gomez, who is General Director of La Liga, confirmed that Barcelona need to generate €250m before they can register new players, or new contracts for the likes of Pedri and Ronald Araujo.
As a result, Barcelona will likely be required to make significant sales this summer. However, Xavi has identified (via MD) seven players that he will not let go under any circumstances: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski.
All seven have been vital for Barcelona this season, and have contributed to their impending La Liga win, which will likely be sealed next weekend. Just how important are they to Barcelona?
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
Ter Stegen has been in incredible domestic form this season, although there have been question marks over his performances in Europe at times. However, there is little doubt that Barcelona should do everything to keep him.
He’s already broken the club record for clean sheets in a La Liga campaign, and Barcelona will hope that he keeps going from strength to strength.
Andreas Christensen
You’d have been hard-pressed to find anyone that would’ve thought Christensen would be in this list when he signed for Barcelona last summer, but he has been excellent this season. He has been a large reason for Barcelona’s excellent defensive record, and fully deserves to be a key player.
He has shown that he commands a regular starting place, and alongside Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde, they will hope to forge a strong defensive line for years to come.
Ronald Araujo
Araujo has been sensational this season, and he is quickly becoming one of the best central defenders in world football. It’s a no-brainer for Barcelona to keep him around, and they will hope that he only gets better from here.
Frenkie De Jong
Like Christensen, De Jong would have been a surprise inclusion 12 months ago, but he is another that has had a fantastic season for Barcelona. With Sergio Busquets coming to the end of his time at the club, De Jong has the potential to be his long-term successor.
The greatest testament that De Jong can have is that Barcelona looked much worse without him in the side, when he was injured last month.
Pedri
Pedri continues to go from strength to strength for Barcelona, and he is an obvious choice to keep at the club. Like De Jong, he was sorely missed when he was absent for two months earlier this year.
Ousmane Dembele
Dembele’s Barcelona career has looked like fizzling out before Xavi joined, but he has stepped up massively, especially this season. His creativity has been a big reason as to why they were so good going forward in the first half of the season.
Barcelona will hope that he signs a new contract in the next few weeks, as they look to secure his long-term future.
Robert Lewandowski
Although he has struggled in 2023, Lewandowski has been a big reason behind Barcelona’s success. He is on course to secure the Pichichi in his first season in Spanish football, which is no mean feat.
They will hope that he keeps scoring over the next few seasons, although signing a long-term replacement will be crucial over the next few transfer windows.
