Players from Rival Clubs Barcelona Would Love to Sign

Unlike Real Madrid for instance, Barcelona are not a club who are synonymous with a "Galactico" transfer policy.

Barca have generally promoted from within and utilized La Masia graduates in the first team where possible.

Of course there has been a sprinkling of big-name, big-money signings over the years at Camp Nou—Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar are just two recent examples.

Let's assume just for a moment that things changed and Tata Martino could have his pick of star players from any of Barca's rivals.

Hypothetically, who could slot into the Barca set up and make them an even more formidable force? Who would they sign just because they could?

The list could be endless and subject to much conjecture so this author has picked half a dozen players who could grace the Blaugrana with aplomb.

The list does not take into account current events or whether these players are actually attainable.

Let's take a look...

Thibaut Courtois

Barcelona's need for a high quality goalkeeper to replace outgoing Victor Valdes is well known.

Who better than 6'6" Thibaut Courtois of Atletico Madrid?

This monster of a number one has proved time and again what a talent he is. Never better than the 2013 Copa Del Rey final against cross-town rivals Real Madrid, where some of his saves were world class.

Imposing, agile and commanding, it's easy to forget that Courtois is still just 21 years of age.

Many have tipped Borrusia Monchengladbach's Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to be ensconced in the position this time next year (Goal.com). 

The German is the same age as Courtois but the latter has the La Liga experience that tips the balance in his favour.

Courtois is currently on his third season-long loan spell from Premier League Chelsea and it is expected that he will return to Stamford Bridge to become Petr Cech's successor.

Barcelona would do well to put the cat amongst the pigeons and make a bid for a player who has all the ingredients of being one of the best keepers in world football for years to come.

Oliver Torres

It's fair to suggest that Courtois' Atletico team-mate Oliver Torres is setting the football world alight.

There is a lot of expectation on his young shoulders, such has been his impact since breaking into the Atletico Madrid first team.

The 18-year-old has already piqued the interest of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Inter Milan—per Simon Jones of the Daily Mail.

After an astonishing individual performance at the U-20 World Cup brought him to the attention of a wider public, his star has risen once more.

Ryan Lim of OutsideOfTheBoot.com has even been moved to compare him to a young Andrea Pirlo. High praise indeed!

Torres' style is completely natural, not forced. He executes play with consummate ease and if there is one criticism then it is his work-rate when losing the ball could be improved.

The player has a maturity that belies his age and that it is hard to pick holes in other areas of his play suggest we are looking at a future world star in Oliver Torres.

Who better as a long term option to replace the ageing Xavi Hernandez?

Raphael Varane

When you think of a complete modern day defender, look no further than Real Madrid's Raphael Varane.

At just 20-years-old the young Frenchman will only get better and better—and that is a frightening prospect!

How Varane's availability slipped under the radar of most of the world's biggest clubs is anyone's guess, but Zinedine Zidane most certainly "played a blinder" when securing the player from Lens in 2011.

It's hard to appreciate that Varane has still only made 24 appearances for Los Blancos, keeping the much more experienced Pepe out of the first team picture with a string of gold-standard performances.

Barcelona only need recall the performance of the player in both legs of the 2013 Spanish Supercopa as evidence of just what this youngster brings to the party.

Aerially dominant, he routinely out-ran Lionel Messi—himself no slouch—and the timing of his tackles were impeccable. 

He has also weighed in at the attacking end of the field, his headed goals against Barcelona a reminder of his prowess in this area.

Elegant in possession, he would certainly shore up a leaky Barca back-line, but the Blaugrana would never try and tempt him...or would they?

Robert Lewandowski

Traditionally Barcelona don't operate with a natural target man.

Yet when you marvel at Robert Lewandowski's single-handed destruction of Real Madrid in the 2013 UCL Semi-Final, you have to wonder why not.

The "tiki-taka" style that Barca are synonymous with will always win plaudits for it's crowd-pleasing nature. To witness it in full effect is breathtaking in it's craft and efficiency.

But just how many times have cules wanted Barca to adopt a more direct and pragmatic approach.

Although Barca certainly had their fingers burned with the Ibrahimovic experiment, Lewandowski represents a number nine that has just about everything.

B/R's Tactical Analyst Sam Tighe identified as much in this piece.

Lewandowski's inclusion would of course require a positional switch-around for certain personnel but Tata Martino does have the luxury, certainly in an attacking sense, to have players that are able to perform at the highest level in a variety of positions.

Will the Polish international take the safe option of staying in Germany for his next career move?

Or if he will show some personal ambition to be as successful in another league if the Blaugrana come calling?

Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick's star has been on the rise ever since his West Ham United days.

Alongside Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand, Carrick was the mainstay of an all-conquering Hammers youth team and the trio's performances saw their rise to the first team become an inevitability.

Just as inevitable would be the sale of all three and Carrick has gone on to become one of Manchester United's most important players.

As with Paul Scholes, Carrick is an understated player who let's his football do the talking. 

Much admired by fellow professionals, Carrick was nominated for the 2013 PFA Player of the Year trophy eventually won by Gareth Bale.

However, the ProZone data used to to evaluate a player's performance suggests that Carrick was in a league of his own (per SkySports).

By way of example, Carrick completed 2,501 passes last season, the highest in the Premier League and had an 82.4 per cent success rate for forward passes, compared to the average Premier League midfielder's 72.8% success rate.

At 32 years of age, he does only represent a short term solution, but with Xavi unlikely to complete a full season, Carrick is a safe and dependable option to oil the cogs of the Barca midfield.

Ramires

Chelsea's Ramires is the archetypal box-to-box midfielder.

David Hynter of The Guardian reported on Chelsea's pursuit of one of South America's "most promising youngsters" back in 2010 and the player has certainly begun to live up to his billing.

Speed, strength and stamina are features of the Brazilian's natural game which is complimented by his capacity for hard work.

Defensively sound, Ramires could certainly shake up the Barca midfield and once again present a different, but viable, option for Gerardo Martino.

His versatility also goes in his favour with a right-sided midfield berth holding no fears for the player.

Barcelona will remember only to well the goal he scored at Camp Nou in the second leg of the 2011/12 UCL Semi-Final.

It was a season in which the player was nominated for Player of the Year, and won Player's Player and Goal of the Season.

At just 26 years old, his best years remain ahead of him.

Which players would you add to this list and why?

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