Barcelona will be losing two of their best players in recent history this summer, with Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets both having announced that they will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
The pair were celebrated following Barcelona’s final home match of the season on Sunday, which also included a standing ovation for each during the match. Both will leave holes in the squad, although Busquets’ will be bigger as he seemingly has no heir at the club at present.
While Barcelona will certainly be looking to replace Busquets this summer, they may look to do the same with Alba, even though he was not a regular starter this season, with Alejandro Balde having taken that mantle.
Marcos Alonso would be second choice if no replacement is signed, but he is not exactly a direct alternative to Alba, as he is much more defensive, having played centre back when called upon this season.
If Barcelona do decide to replace Alba, they could do so with Raphael Guerreiro, who is leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer when his own contract expires. Fichajes have reported that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are two of the teams interested in signing the Portuguese.
Guerreiro had a very good 2022/23 season with Dortmund, as they narrowly missed out on winning the Bundesliga title. He was a very big threat going forward, and he has very similar characteristics to Balde and Alba.
In this regard, Guerreiro would be a very good alternative to Balde, and he can also play in midfield, which could make him an even more attractive prospect to Xavi Hernandez, Mateu Alemany and Deco.
However, the question remains over whether Guerreiro would accept being a backup option to Balde. He has been rotated on several occasions this season with Dortmund, but he has largely been a regular starter, which is likely not be the case at Barcelona, if he does make the move.
In essence, signing Guerreiro would be a very shrewd move for Barcelona, providing that they can make it work. He would be an excellent addition to replace the departing Alba, much more so than Alonso.
However, it is far from certain as to whether Barcelona will actively look to sign a new left back. It is not a priority, especially when you consider other areas that will need to be addressed during the transfer window, but it would be a smart move to sign Guerreiro.
