After closing out the season with an irrelevant victory over Eibar, Barcelona can now look forward to a decisive week for their future, according to Mundo Deportivo. President Joan Laporta, sporting vice president Rafa Yuste, sporting director Mateu Alemany and technical director Ramon Planes have some tough calls to make to ensure the team is competitive in this coming season.
The first two big calls involve the coach and the captain. Laporta has spoken of the need to start a new cycle, and it’s not known whether Ronald Koeman is viewed as the coach to lead that rebirth or not. Lionel Messi is also yet to decide his future; the club are optimistic the Argentine will commit his future to Barcelona and sign a new deal, but until he puts pen to paper there’s always going to be an element of doubt there.
There’s also the small matter of shifting the deadwood. Neto, Junior Firpo, Samuel Umtiti, Sergi Roberto, Miralem Pjanic, Matheus Fernandes, Martin Braithwaite, Francisco Trincao and Antoine Griezmann are all saleable assets, while the future of the likes of Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are uncertain. If Ousmane Dembele doesn’t sign a new deal he too could be sold to prevent him from entering the final year of his contract.
