Three things Barcelona need to do in 2020

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The club has some important decision to make

Replace Ernesto Valverde as manager

Barcelona’s most important task of 2020 is to find the right replacement for manager Ernesto Valverde who will surely leave at the end of the season at the latest.

The club do have the option to extend Valverde for another season, but given his unpopularity and the Champions League disasters that looks unlikely.

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The big question of course is who should manage Barca next? There have already been lots of coaches linked yet no-one in particular really stands out as the outstanding candidate.

Ronald Koeman is the name most regularly linked, Thierry Henry is the latest and then there’s Marcelo Gallardo, Roberto Martinez, Mauricio Pochettino, Quique Setien, Erik ten Hag and Xavi too.

It’s a decision Barca can’t afford to take lightly, and also one they will need to get right in order to continue their success at home and (hopefully) abroad too.

Promote Riqui Puig to the first team

Riqui Puig remains one of Barcelona’s brightest young stars but hasn’t made a single first-team appearance this season and there is growing frustration at his lack of progress.

The midfielder continues to shine for Barca B but still doesn’t appear to have done enough to convince Valverde he is ready to make the step up to the first team.

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There’s no denying Puig’s quality, touch and vision and he surely deserves the chance to continue his development in the first team and regular La Liga football.

Carles Alena has already departed on loan, Arturo Vidal may well be next, while Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets will both turn 32 next year.

Riqui said recently he’s willing to be patient and wait for his chance at Barca, but if the club don’t move soon he could be forgiven for wanting to look elsewhere for opportunities.

Sign Luis Suarez’s Replacement

Signing a replacement for Luis Suarez is another priority Barcelona need to take care of next year and should be the focus of their summer transfer window.

The Uruguayan is enjoying another prolific campaign and has 10 La Liga goals already, but his limitations are becoming more evident and his record in Europe is poor.

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Suarez will turn 33 in January and has already spoken this season about how he feels the “best thing” is for Barca to be looking for his replacement already.

Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez has been linked many time already with a move to the Camp Nou and looks a good fit, although he will certainly not leave the San Siro on the cheap.

PSV Eindhoven striker Donyell Malen is another player who has been linked recently, and you can expect plenty more names to crop up between now and the summer.

Source: barcablaugranes.com