5 players who can replace Andres Iniesta at Barcelona

Andres Iniesta has undoubtedly been one of Barcelona’s greatest ever players. The diminutive Spaniard has time and again surprised us with his unrivalled skill, vision, dribbling and passing abilities.

However, while the ability of Iniesta can barely be questioned, age is catching up with Barcelona’s captain and the Blaugrana will be desperate to find a suitable long-term replacement for the legendary playmaker.

While Iniesta is truly irreplaceable, these 5 players look ideally suited to take over from the Spaniard when he does retire or move away from Barcelona:

#5 Carles Alena

A gem in the La Masia stables, Carles Alena is touted by many to become the next big homegrown star at Barcelona. Since joining Barcelona as an 8-year-old, the 19-year-old has captained all the youth teams including the Juvenil A squad. Having recently made his senior debut for Barcelona, Alena is tipped to become one of the most important members of the Barcelona first team squad.

An attacking midfielder, Alena is capable of playing in the number 8 and number 10 position although he has also been used on the wings sparingly. Having a playing style which looks like an amalgamation of Messi and Iniesta, the youngster has a knack of scoring spectacular goals at crucial intervals just like Iniesta.

Alena is left-footed and always seems to find space in midfield. Calm and unhurried on the ball, Alena is earmarked for great things and is the future of Spanish football.

#4 Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool’s Brazilian magician Philippe Coutinho has long been linked with a move to Barcelona. Capable of creating something out of nothing, Coutinho is considered by many to be the ideal ‘Barcelona’ type of player.

Blessed with quick feet and amazing dribbling skills, the Brazilian is quite easily the most talented player in Jurgen Klopp’s young and vibrant Liverpool side. During his time at Liverpool, Coutinho has shown that he is adept at playing in a variety of midfield positions right from the number 10 role to playing on the left wing.

The little Brazilian has been absolutely brilliant for Liverpool since 2014 and even Barcelona legend Ronaldinho wants Coutinho to move to the Camp Nou. Speaking about Coutinho being linked with Barcelona, Ronaldinho said:

“After all those years at the club Xavi has left and Iniesta is now in his 30s – they will need to address that. That is why I think Barcelona and Coutinho would be the perfect fit”

The video below shows us exactly why Coutinho is so highly rated:

#3 Bernardo Silva

22-year-old Bernardo Silva has been an absolute revelation for AS Monaco this season. One of the most talented playmakers in the world, the Portuguese superstar is a highly sought after talent with a number of top clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, PSG and Barcelona being linked with his signature.

The highlight of Silva’s game is his dribbling skills and it is a joy to watch him whenever he gets on the ball. He is excellent in one-on-one situations and often humiliates defenders as he gets past them with ease. His technique is sublime and he possesses excellent vision and passing range. Silva has all the attributes to be a top class creative midfielder.

A true jewel in the crown of Monaco’s talented youngsters, Bernardo Silva’s quick feet and excellent vision make him a perfect fit at a club like Barcelona. However, the La Liga giants will face a lot of competition from other top clubs across Europe for the 22-year-old’s signature.

#2 Isco

The rumours of Isco moving to Barcelona refuse to die down and with the talented playmaker yet to sign a new contract with Real Madrid, the Catalan club could sensationally swoop in for the former Golden Boy winner. Isco is behind Marco Asensio and James Rodriguez in the pecking order and the 24-year-old could move away from the Spanish giants in search of regular playing time.

A player whose style is extremely similar to that of Iniesta, Isco is capable of dribbling past opponents and picking out team-mates with his superb passing range and vision. Barcelona star Jordi Alba even went as far as to say that the Real Madrid star is welcome at Barcelona. Speaking at a public event in his hometown, Alba said:

"All good players are welcome. I know him from my time at Valencia and I appreciate him.”

While it might be tough to sign Isco because of the Real Madrid connection, the Catalan giants might sign him for free in 2018 if the situation does not change for the tlented playmaker.

#1 Thiago Alcantara

One of the best young central midfielders in the world, Thiago Alcantara’s sale to Bayern Munich in 2013 for a paltry €18 million is seen as one of the worst transfers in Barcelona’s recent history. Calm, composed and always able to pick the right pass, Thiago is capable of playing in multiple midfield positions and is one of the integral members of Carlo Ancelotti’s all-conquering Bayern Munich side.

However, there have been recent reports of Barcelona looking to sign their former midfield star with Thiago also reportedly interested in a move back to his home country. Thiago’s brother Rafinha is already a first team member and a family reunion might be on the cards soon.

A La Masia graduate and extremely familiar with the Barcelona style of play, Thiago Alcantara is the ideal long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta.