Five outstanding issues that Barcelona have to deal with for the new season

The ball starts rolling again for Barcelona on Saturday night as they play for the first time in 69 days, with the last occasion being the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla. 

Celtic are their first opponent this season. Leicester City and Liverpool will follow. While the preseason goes on, there are still five issues for Barcelona to resolve...

1. Find a striker

Barcelona have had trouble signing a fourth forward. Sporting director Robert Fernandez recently threw a dart at the players who have turned down the club, seemingly unable to handle the pressure of playing in the shirt. 

Kevin Gameiro and Luciano Vietto are the most recent examples. Both were on the agenda but they ended up swapping places at Atletico and Sevilla. 

Dembele, Ben Arfa Nolito, maybe Gabriel Jesus too... the list of players that have said no to Barcelona is alarming. Fernandez is looking at more options, with Luis Enrique looking to complete his squad as soon as possible. 

2. Resolve the future of the unwanted players

Barcelona have various players Luis Enrique doesn't want. While some have left, like Adriano (Besiktas), Halilovic (Hamburg), Alex Song (Ruben Kazan) and Martin Montoya (Valencia), others are still around.

One of the most worrying is Douglas Pereira. The club have admitted it's going to be hard to shift him. He doesn't have to come into training until August 8, with Luis Enrique uninterested in having him around.  There is also Cristian Tello, who has trained with the first team, though the coach has invited him to look for another side. 

Thomas Vermaelen, who is ready to start training, needs to have a chat with Lucho in the coming days to decide what his best option is. 

3. Manage the midfield

There is a long list of players whose best position is in central midfield at the club. If the club doesn't manage them well, there could not only be discontentment, but also a lack of match fitness for those who are needed later in the year when the starters have to rest. 

Andres Iniesta, Rafinha, Ivan Rakitic, Arda Turan, Sergi Samper, Denis Suárez, André Gomes, Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto and Javier Mascherano will all be fighting for minutes, in an over-populated core.

4. The politics of the goalkeeping situation

Luis Enrique had divided the minutes firmly between Bravo and Ter Stegen before this season. However, the German's frequent complaints about wanting more time may have altered the coach's plans. 

The German has been said to have been promised the starting slot, ahead of Bravo. However, the Asturian coach has confidence in the Chilean, who has always been reliable for the club. 

Lucho hasn't wanted to take a position over this battle. However, if Ter Stegen doesn't see a resolution he is likely to return to threatening to pack his bags.

5. Get the best out of Arda Turan

The Turkish central midfielder has had various big offers to leave, but Luis Enrique is his main backer and stopped him from going. Now the player must return that confidence. 

The player signed for 40 million euros from Atletico Madrid. He could not play until January and after that wasn't at the level Barcelona hoped for. 

After a year of adaptation, Barcelona are confident he can come back and be the player they saw shine at Atletico. His work in preseason will be crucial for him to return powered up from the first minute.