Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has confirmed his side are not yet done in the summer transfer window, with more signings likely.
The Blaugrana are currently looking to build upon their La Liga and Copa del Rey double from last season, and reassert themselves on European football after three years without a Champions League final appearance or title.
Already this summer, Barcelona have brought in Arthur Melo, Clement Lenglet and Malcom, strengthening in three different positions.
But Valverde has highlighted the midfield as one place which needs more work on this summer, given the departures of Paulinho and club legend Andres Iniesta.
“We’re open to any possibility,” he told a press conference (via Goal).
“It’s true that we’ve had some big departures in midfield so it’s likely that we will make more signings.
“We will try to build the most competitive squad possible, keeping in mind that Andres [Iniesta] and Paulinho have left.
“It doesn’t depend only on me, but on the club and what players are available.
“We want players that fit our style. We need people that can generate play through the middle – and if they can get forward into the box, too, even better.”
Despite the need to strengthen their squad, Valverde also confirmed the club will be looking to get rid of some of their fringe players, using pre-season as a chance to make a more informed decision on who stays and who goes.
He added: “It’s a familiar story for all the teams at this stage of the season. There are players coming back from loans, players from the B team and we have to decide [who will stay and who will go].
“We think the B team can help us this year, and, yes, I prefer to have a small squad. As for the players that could go, we will see.
“The tour of the United States provides a chance for the players coming back from loans and up from the B team.”
Barcelona’s pre-season tour of the United States sees them take on Tottenham Hotspur in the early hours of Sunday morning, before going up against Roma and then AC Milan.
Barcelona’s Champions League troubles
Despite waltzing their way to the league title last season, Barcelona have not had the best time in the Champions League since winning the trophy in 2015.
In each of the past three seasons, the Blaugrana have fallen at the quarter-final stages to different opponents every time.
During the 2015/16 season they were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Atletico Madrid despite leading 2-1 after the first leg, with their Spanish rivals going on to finish runners-up to Real Madrid.
The following year, they were once again beaten by the eventual runners up, this time Juventus, losing 3-0 on aggregate.
But perhaps the most embarrassing of the three exits, the Spanish side went out at the quarter-final stage last season to Roma despite taking a 4-1 lead into the second leg.
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