5 long-term replacements for Gerard Pique at FC Barcelona

Se Queda (He stays). These were the words that Barca fans were shouting when the news and official signing ceremony for Gerard Pique’s new deal which is extended to 2022 were announced.

While attention has been on the stellar names upfront (old and new), the defense, under manager Ernesto Valverde, has been far better than it was under Luis Enrique as players like Piqué no longer look like deer caught in headlights when faced with opposing attackers.

However, the experienced defender is 31 years of age and will be 35 by the time his contract expires.

Given the fast-paced nature of the game, these days and the fact that young defenders are capable of playing the ball out from the back are rare and generally expensive, the Barcelona board would be acting prudently by seeking a long-term replacement.

Here is a shortlist of five capable youngsters who have shown that they have the potential to fulfill FC Barcelona’s specific demands for defenders.

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#5 Rúben Dias (SL Benfica)

Dias has looked good playing for Benfica and is one that seems destined for the top

One of the highly rated youngsters coming out of the stables at Benfica, young Dias has been spoken of in glowing terms and there are already pundits comparing him to the legendary Portuguese center-back Fernando Couto.

While he shares an innate sense of taking responsibility like the aforementioned Couto, Dias differs from the great man in that his style of play is more aligned to the cultured style of players like Pique’s rather than the thou-shall-not-pass motto of contemporary Portuguese center-backs like Pepe, Bruno Alves, Jose Fonte among others.

The young Dias who just made his first-team debut in Liga NOS this season has shone alongside experienced Brazilian Luisao in the games he has played.

While the team may have been woeful in the UEFA Champions League (losing all six matches), he was one of the few to emerge from this disastrous campaign with some credit as his abilities and dedication shone through the Eagles’ darkness.

Calm and assured with an eye for a pass and good man-marking abilities, Dias’ confidence on the ball will stand him in good stead if he ever makes the short move from Lisbon to Catalunya.

#4 Panagiotis Retsos (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)

The future of the Greek national team's defense, Retsos is one of the best young defenders in Europe

The youngster is already one of the most highly rated center-backs in European football and seems to have a bright future ahead of him,

The youngest ever players to captain one of the big teams in Greece (Olympiakos no less), the South-African born player has been hailed as one of the brightest talents to ever come out of Greek football and is set to have a long, extended career in the national team beside AS Roma’s Kostas Manolas.

Calm on the ball with an eye for a pass, Retsos isn’t the tallest defender but he more than makes up for the extra inches with an uncanny understanding of where the ball might be at all times.

Like all youngsters, he sometimes takes unnecessary risks with his passing and may cause some goals along the way but his sense of positioning and tackling abilities make up for this.

He will not come cheap as he just joined Bayer 04 for £15.75 million but given the long-term value he will offer, Barcelona would be wise to get him in as soon as they can before the rest of Europe’s big clubs become aware of his excellence and an arms race ensues.

#3 Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)

The youngster has excelled in a young and excellent RB Leipzig team, he looks set for big things

The 19-year old Frenchman has been one of the standout youngsters in the Bundesliga this season and is perfectly poised to continue his upward trajectory,

Standing at 1.85cm, the graduate of Valenciennes FC’s youth set up is widely regarded along with OGC Nice player Malang Sarr as one of the most exciting center-backs in France under the age of 21.

Blessed with pace, good reading of the game as well as an intelligence belied by his years, the youngster has become an integral element of the defense for his German club; RB Leipzig.

Upamecano is notable for possessing physical and technical qualities that allow him to perform brilliantly as an efficient and offensively involved center-back or if the occasion demands it, as a defensive midfielder (a role he played many times for former club RB Salzburg).

This ease that he possesses to be able to play in both positions means he will be an invaluable asset to FC Barcelona if he moves to Spain as he can cover and distribute effectively in the case of injuries in the center of midfield.

He was rumored to be a summer target for Liverpool FC after they failed in their earlier pursuit of Dutchman Virgil van Dijk but the outstanding sporting director of Die Roten Bullen; Ralf Rangnick reportedly scared away Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool scouts with a €100m asking price.

He will not come cheap but will represent great long time value for the Blaugrana if signed.

#2 Jorge Meré (FC Cologne)

Meré is already seen as the best young Spanish center-back and would be popular with Cules

Already being touted back in Spain as the long-term successor to Sergio Ramos for La Furia Roja (and possibly at Real Madrid as well) Meré shares so many of the qualities that the now legendary Real Madrid & Spain captain possesses that a seamless transition at least at the national level is being seen as an absolute certainty.

A good look at the Oviedo-born defender’s playing style shows that he is like a hybrid combining the best qualities of both Piqué & Ramos to make a player that is all Meré.

His love for making a tackle and being aggressive are similar to those of the Los Merengues Capitan while his vision, calmness on the ball and ability to initiate play from the back are all Pique.

The 20-year-old already has everything you want in a modern defender and as brilliant as the aforementioned qualities are, he also possesses an intelligence which helps him to read the game well while being strong in the air and quite quick for a center-back.

These qualities have been sorely tested in his first season in the Bundesliga as his Cologne side coming off last season’s impressive showing have been dire and currently sit at the bottom of the table staring down the barrel of relegation.

This is great news for the Blaugrana as it means the young Spaniard would be available for a snip but Barca president Josep Bartomeu will have to hurry as other big clubs will be certain to enter the fray once the Billy Goats get relegated.

#1 Matthijs De Ligt (AFC Ajax)

De Ligt has been sensational since making his debut and a move to Barca may happen soon

The undisputed first choice to replace Piqué, the youngster has been one of the few bright spots to emerge from what has been a turbulent period for Dutch football.

If the prototype Barcelona defender were ever to be designed, the 18-year-old Ajax star would have been what the designers had in mind.

An accomplished passer of the ball, despite his young age, Ajax manager has entrusted him with the responsibility of playing out from the back, a responsibility he has taken on and delivered as his stats show.

While passing is key for a modern defender, tackling and intercepting the ball are also very important elements of a center-back’s game; these are aspects that De Ligt has also excelled at.

As is the case with many young defenders, De Ligt’s judgment could use some work as sometimes, he tends to misjudge the timing of tackles and long passes over the top which have led to goals on some occasions most notably on his international debut for the Oranje against Bulgaria.

However, these are normal things in the life of a young defender and he will get better as he gains more experience.

There are already rumors linking the youngster to a move to the Nou Camp and it will be in everyone’s best interests if the Blaugrana can get it sorted sooner rather than later.