It is common knowledge that Barcelona's squad is getting old, and a few players have not performed at their best and have hit a declining stage in their careers at the same time.
The Catalan giants might be getting a major overhaul in the summer, and several names are on the list of potential departures.
According to reports from Catalan media, as much as six Blaugrana defenders could be heading out of Camp Nou. Luis Enrique has asked for new, younger players to complement his three key defenders (Javier Mascherano, Gerard Piqué and Jordi Alba) for next season, and that renovation might result in some of the older players leaving.
The reported list includes Brazilian full-backs Dani Alves, Douglas Pereira and Adriano Correia, and center-backs Marc Bartra and Thomas Vermaelen. Alves is heavily linked with a move to China, and Douglas is simply not good enough to play at Barça. Marc Bartra is almost definitely being sold this summer, and the Premier League appears to be interested in Thomas Vermaelen again. Adriano got a contract extension, but he is set to join the Serie A in Italy next season.
The only player listed who is not expected or rumored to leave is Aleix Vidal. He has been left out of recent squad lists because of some personal issues, but he is determined to become a starter again and will certainly remain a Blaugrana next season.
If Vidal stays and the five players above are indeed sold in the summer, and if the most rumored signings indeed happen, we could be looking at this defensive group for next season:
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