What will the post-Messi Barça look like?

What will the post-Messi Barça look like?

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The club has lots of young talents but the big-name players need to make a step up

On 19 May, with the LaLiga title out of Barça's reach, club president Joan Laporta made a statement that continues to resonate at the club: "A cycle has come to an end, and we are now entering a transition period". Unhappy with the team's collapse at the crucial point of the season, the club president issued a warning to the first team squad: "We will renew the squad to make it more competitive, allowing us to challenge for big titles".

Laporta was sending a message that losing was not acceptable at FC Barcelona. The side had let the league title slip through their fingers and this would bear consequences.

As the months passed, it became clear that said revolution was not forthcoming. The team's spine are all tied down to long-term contracts and there is no way of finding buyers for expensive signings which have not worked out. While Eric García, Sergio Aguero, Memphis and Emerson are all good players, these new arrivals do not constitute a revolution.

The squad building has been similar to that of the Bartomeu era, although with two important differences: the players (Emerson aside) have arrived on free transfers, and their salary is in line with the current financial climate.

In the end, and against all odds, the revolution is now here. It arrived at the eleventh hour, with the departure of a player that nobody saw coming. Even Laporta didn't foresee last week's events, having based much of his presidential campaign on getting Messi to commit his future to the club.

Was it possible to talk of a new cycle if the footballer who defined the previous one was still at the club? Was a revolution possible with Messi?

Laporta, perhaps naively, had claimed that it was possible. He also said it would be possible to keep Messi and register the new summer signings.

After all, Laporta's warning of a new cycle came true, arriving in the way that bad news always arrives: with a low blow, and without any warning. Messi signed for PSG, and Barça were struggling to compose themselves.

The positive news, as we saw last season, is that the new crop of young players want to play an important role in this new cycle.

Pedri is the face of this new generation, who has become the main hope of the post-Messi era following impressive displays at this summer's European Championships and the Olympics. Ansu Fati will also have a key role to play in the years to come, while defenders like Araujo and Eric García appear to have many years ahead of them at the heart of Barça's defence.

Academy players Nico and Gavi have shown their incredible potential so far this pre-season, while new signing Yusuf Demir has impressed Koeman to such an extent that he is now viewed as an option in the first team squad. The Dutch coach is also happy with the arrival of Memphis (27), who is at the peak of his powers and determined to be a key player immediately.

Established first team players Griezmann and De Jong will also need to make the step up this season.

Besides the unexpected departure of Leo Messi, Koeman is also faced with injuries to Ter Stegen, Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembélé, Clement Lenglet and Oscar Mingueza. Meanwhile, there are still questions as to whether the club will be able to register Memphis and Eric García in time for the their leahue debut, while Frenkie De Jong will need to undergo a late fitness test.

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