Sergio Busquets' Replacement: Five Potential Midfielders Barcelona Could Sign

Sergio Busquets' sudden exit from Barcelona at the end of last season has left the La Liga champions in ‘sixes and sevens’ and with an enormous hole to fill.

Busquets have been an integral part of the Catalunya-based club for 15 years, the midfielder’s vision and control have been integral to Barcelona's identity.

His loss is a huge one which is perhaps only exceeded by Lionel Messi's exit in 2021.

Manager Xavi has spoken openly about the importance of signing a new defensive midfielder this summer. Ilkay Gundogan has arrived to bolster further forwards, but at the base of midfield, questions remain.

While Frenkie de Jong can take the role, the Dutchman would be wasted in such a position and so Barcelona should be looking to dip their toes into the transfer market, although their woeful financial situation will severely limit their options.

Considering these factors, Sports Brief examines five potential players whom Barcelona could acquire as replacements for Sergio Busquets.

Oriol Romeu

Oriol Romeu remains one of the most affordable options for Barcelona. The 31-year-old who has had a stint at Barcelona’s La Masia is currently tied to a release clause of €8 million at current club Girona according to ESPN.

Romeu definitely is a short-term solution but Barcelona may actually prefer that. After all, finding the right player for this role is crucial and there's no point rushing this decision if the perfect candidate is not currently attainable.

Sofyan Amrabat

The World Cup in Qatar was perhaps the best stage for the Fiorentina man to showcase his ability, with millions of eyes balls fixed on his jaw-dropping displays.

Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat after impressing in Qatar, has continued to attract plenty of praise. He's an excellent passer who loves to sit deep and pull the strings, which is the simplest essence of the Busquets role.

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The Fiorentina man has barely 12 months left on his contract and reports from Goal suggest he is with a clear stance that he will not be renewing.

Amrabat looks likely to be sold this summer and will likely be available on the cheap as a result.

Martin Zubimendi

Martin Zubimendi has been tipped to be the perfect player with an identity as Sergio Busquets. Truthfully, there are few players who look more suited for the role than Real Sociedad man.

The 24-year-old is incredibly intelligent and looks exactly like the sort of player Barcelona want to build around, and club officials are well aware of that. They've been looking at Zubimendi for months, but all that research has unearthed a real problem - his release clause.

Barcelona would have to sell enough players to raise the money for the Spanish midfielder or perhaps even offer those players to Sociedad in exchange, this is a deal worth pursuing.

Alan Varela

Boca's Alan Varela is dubbed a composed defender who has already mastered the art of scanning – one key feature of Sergio Busquets.

Varela looks like a future superstar in this role. Barcelona could easily put the finishing touches on his game and turn him into an elite midfielder.

He's obviously an enormous risk, having never played outside of Argentina, but Varela's play style is a fascinating one that echoes a lot of what fans have grown to love from Busquets.

A number of teams from across Europe have taken notice of Varela's skill set and he may not be on the market for much longer. For a team in Barcelona's perilous financial position, this may be the final chance they have to sign Varela.

Hugo Guillamon

Hugo Guillamon is a central defender by trade but has recently been pushed into a defensive midfield role and although his transition hasn't been perfect, the 23-year-old has shown more than enough to convince Barcelona of his worth.

Smart in possession and more than happy to help out in defence, Guillamon is an intriguing option who has often been used in defence on the international stage because of the sheer level of competition in defensive midfield.

Guillamon is under contract until 2026 but Valencia's well-known financial struggles mean nearly any player can be picked up on the cheap, so this is a real opportunity for Barcelona to bag themselves a bargain.

Xavi would need to afford Guillamon time to adjust to such a high level, but the rewards of doing so could be huge.

Barcelona targets former Chelsea midfielder

Sports Brief earlier reported Barcelona who are in the process of trying to sign a new pivot following the departure of Sergio Busquets have their gaze fixed on former Chelsea man Oriol Romeu.

Having had to back out of deals including that of Joshua Kimmich and Marcelo Brozovic due to their hailing finance, the Spaniard appears a feasible buy for the La Liga champions.