Diario GOL has claimed that even ahead of his first bout as the Barcelona boss, Quique Setien has agreed to sign five players in the summer along with Lionel Messi and will pass on his request to the board. The Blaugrana have a pretty good squad, but there are improvements necessary in some departments to ensure consistent results.
As far as the defensive third is concerned, there will most likely be two signings, which are still unknown. But what is clear is that Setien is not a big fan of the current right backs at his disposal in Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo, meaning a signing of a full back will be made. Samuel Umtiti is also looking set for a exit, and a centre back could be signed as well.
From the midfielders, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal are being tipped for departures at the end of this season. With two midfielders of great quality leaving the club, it is imperative that somebody is signed and Setien has asked the board to compete against Real Madrid for the signatures of Napoli superstar Fabian Ruiz.
Setien and Fabian Ruiz have known each other from their Real Betis days, so the Blaugrana may have the edge over their arch rivals over his signing. However, reports earlier claimed that the Spaniard found Real Madrid’s project more interesting than that of Barca’s and is also keen on playing under Zinedine Zidane’s managerial expertise.
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In the attacking department, the new Barca coach has emphasized the need for a striker given Luis Suarez’s age, making Lautaro Martinez the primary contender for the spot. With Ousmane Dembele having lost trust and Antoine Griezmann underperforming, Setien has asked for a left winger too which may very well be former player Neymar.