5 players Barcelona could have signed instead of Memphis Depay

#3 Georginio Wijnaldum

Real Madrid v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final: Leg One

Except for Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona do not have any experienced or proven midfielders at their disposal.

Gavi and Pedri are exceptional players but do not have the necessary experience to regularly influence matches at the highest level. Busquets, too, is in the twilight of his career and rarely produces world-class performances.

To remedy the situation, Barcelona were reportedly courting Liverpool central midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum last summer.

The Dutch international was out of contract at the time and could have joined Barcelona for free. Ultimately, the Blaugrana took their eye off the ball and saw Paris Saint-Germain swoop in for the player.

The 31-year-old has played 25 games for the Ligue 1 side this season, pitching in with three goals and two assists.

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#2 Lautaro Martinez

FC Internazionale v Venezia FC - Serie A

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez has been on Barcelona’s radar for a while now but is no closer to making his move official. The Argentina international is an excellent centre-forward in his own right and could fit into Xavi’s system effortlessly.

As per reports, Martinez was on the club’s wishlist last summer, but they ultimately went for Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay instead.

Martinez, who is currently rated at €80 million, signed a four-year contract extension with Inter back in October. His 11 Serie A goals have helped the Nerazzurri top the table with four points and a game in hand.

Had Barcelona pounced on him last summer, they could have signed the player for a reduced fee. Unfortunately, even the discounted fee was too much for the 26-time La Liga champions at the time and they pulled out of the deal.

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#1 Dusan Vlahovic

SSC Napoli v ACF Fiorentina - Coppa Italia

Fiorentina ace Dusan Vlahovic is being courted by some of the best clubs in the world right now. The Serbian striker has scored 17 goals in Serie A this season and is currently the leading goalscorer of the Italian top-division.

The 21-year-old striker is capable of improving any team in the world, especially a team that’s struggling to find the back of the net regularly.

If rumors are to be believed, Fiorentina offered their prized jewel to the Catalan club for only €18 million last summer. The player’s agent Darko Ristic reportedly had a proposal from Fiorentina which would’ve seen Vlahovic join Barcelona on loan in 2020 before moving permanently.

Had Barcelona accepted the deal, they could have signed the Serbian international for only €18 million in the summer of 2021. With him in their ranks, the Camp Nou club would’ve surely been a legit contender for the La Liga title this season.