In a recent survey conducted by Barça Universal, fans shared their preferences for the ideal squad for the 2024/25 season, introducing some unexpected choices.
On the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Barça Universal created an engaging thread, listing each player from the current roster and giving followers three options: keep, loan, or sell.
Here are the results of the poll:
Goalkeepers
A significant 65.5 % of fans voted to keep the experienced goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. However, 33.6 % felt it was time to sell him.
Ter Stegen’s ongoing value lies in his familiarity with Hansi Flick, his former national team coach, who is now managing Barcelona.
Inaki Pena, another goalkeeper, faced a different fate. The majority, 55.1 %, wanted him sold, while only 29 % believed he should stay.
Defenders
Top defenders such as Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Pau Cubarsi were mostly supported to stay with the team.
However, 20.7 % of fans were in favour of selling Araujo, reflecting the club’s financial struggles and the potential revenue his sale could generate.
Full-backs like Alejandro Balde and Hector Fort were also favoured to remain, while fans expressed a desire to part ways with Inigo Martinez and Marcos Alonso.
Surprisingly, Joao Cancelo, despite his abilities, was not supported for continuity by the voters.
Midfielders
Most midfielders were backed by the fans, except for Oriol Romeu, Frenkie de Jong, and Sergi Roberto. Pedri, Gavi, Ilkay Gundogan, and Fermin Lopez received positive votes for staying with the team.
The cases of Roberto and Romeu were straightforward, but de Jong’s situation mirrored Araujo’s. Although de Jong is expected to sign a new contract, the financial aspect and his high value led fans to vote against his continuity.
Forwards
Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Vitor Roque were strongly supported to stay with the team.
The biggest surprise was the fans’ desire to sell Robert Lewandowski, with 51 % voting against his retention. Additionally, Ferran Torres and Joao Felix faced significant opposition to their continuity.
In summary, there appears to be a disconnect between the fans’ wishes and Barcelona’s current strategy, particularly regarding player retention.
While the club views players like Cancelo and Felix as vital, fans have different opinions. The same discrepancy is evident with Lewandowski, where fan sentiment does not align with the club’s apparent plans.
Fan votes
Keep: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Hector Fort, Pedri, Gavi, Ilkay Gundogan, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Vitor Roque
Sell: Inaki Pena, Inigo Martinez, Marcos Alonso, Joao Cancelo, Oriol Romeu, Frenkie de Jong, Sergi Roberto, Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Joao Felix
