The signings Barça need to make this summer

It's been confirmed (for now) than Ernesto Valverde will remain at the club next eason and there won't be any changes higher up (for now) either. The revolution that Barça are focusing on right now involves the squad. In with that, there's a lot of changes which need to be made. They need to be made smartly and bravely. One of the reasons behind the failures of the team in Europe has been due it's age.

There were seven players older than 30 - Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Messi and Luis Suárez - involved in that awful second leg performance at Anfield. Liverpool, without Salah and Firmino, overran Barça. Physically and stylistically. Rejuvenating the starting XI is fundamental. That's why they signed de Jong and are in negotiations for de Ligt.

But Barça needs more much than that. They need more youthfulness and ambition. They desperately need a world class right back, a gap that's been missing ever since Dani Alves left. They need a left back to compete alongside Jordi Alba and, more than anything else, they need a top tier centre forward who can finish the chances that Luis Suarez misses.

It's about constructing a more competitive side than the current one. This is a team which is built around Messi but can win without him too. Now there's talk of Griezmann and Neymar coming in. Coutinho has been a failure and Messi urgently needs some help. Either one of those two could fill that role. Another matter is whether the dressing room would welcome them with open arms.