FC Barcelona: Creating Luis Enrique's 2015 Summer Blueprint

Luis Enrique will already have a blueprint in mind for next season at Barcelona if he is the forward-thinking coach that he appears.

Whether or not he eventually brings another treble back to the club, it's clear that after a shaky start to the current campaign, Lucho has won over the doubters and gained many admirers.

Far from this being a team whose best days had long gone, Enrique's patient but authoritative management style has, eventually, got the best out of each starting XI and the support staff.

However, applying the old maxim that you're only as good as your last game, Enrique will look forward rather than back, and will no doubt seek to improve upon the 2014/15 season.

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Luis Enrique managerial record 57 games 48 wins 3 defeats 6 draws 167 goals scored 33 goals conceded (@newsfcb) pic.twitter.com/tqzop7WN7m

— The Catalan Giant (@TheCatalanGiant) May 17, 2015"

There are many facets for him to consider over the course of the next few weeks in order for him to achieve that.

Remembering that Barca are still hamstrung by a FIFA-imposed transfer ban, there will be no new faces eligible to play for the club at the beginning of next season.

Handcuffed to some extent, aiming to get a head start over his rivals could become difficult if one or two unhappy players decide to insist upon a transfer over the summer.

Let's take a look at just what considerations there need to be during the next couple of months.

Style

After being led to believe for so many seasons that Barcelona didn't have another successful way of playing, Luis Enrique disproved the theory once and for all.

Yes, we continued to see the expert tactical triangles right across the pitch as Barca attempted to play their opponents off the park.

But we also saw a lot more verticality with the ball being moved from back to front much quicker than what we are used to seeing from the Catalans.

That was due in no small part to the addition of Ivan Rakitic to the squad. Adept at Barca's way of playing in any event, the Croatian ensured that the Blaugrana were lightning-quick going forward when necessary.

We even saw Barca playing on the counter-attack, which is practically unheard of.

Yet, as Enrique's ideas began to bear fruit and the squad bought more into his methods as a result, the results followed.

It would be almost sacrilegious now for the manager to abandon any part of the style that brought him and his team the success they have enjoyed so far this season.

Contracts for Players

Where new contracts are needed for players, these must be sorted out without delay. For example, where would Barcelona be without Dani Alves again this season? 

In Alves' particular case, the season has been full of "will he, won't he" rumours as to whether the Brazilian leaves or not. The latest from Simon Osborn of Metro suggests a deal with Manchester United is a few days away from completion.

Although Enrique would have a good portion of the summer to work with other playing staff, why would you consider changing a winning side?

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Even Xavi Hernandez still has a part to play if he can accept a bit-part role. 

It should also be noted how damaging contract talks that drag on can be for both player and club. If a player wants to stay and the club similarly doesn't want him to leave, then stop the posturing and the self-aggrandising and get the deal done.

Can He Afford to Let Other Players Leave?

What about the players that haven't had a proper look in this season?

Thomas Vermaelen's case is exceptional. With only a behind-closed-doors friendly to his name at the beginning of the season, the Belgian has yet to pull on the Blaugrana in earnest.

Now back from his season-long woes and free from injury, Vermaelen still hasn't been able to affect Enrique's selection process.

Pedro Rodriguez also finds himself out of the picture in general terms, playing only when a space opens up in Barca's front line.

Whether either player, or any other for that matter, is unhappy, can the manager afford to countenance their sale to free up more funds for the following transfer window?

A conservative estimate would see €30 million into the coffers, a not insignificant amount for two fringe players. Not forgetting the likes of Gerard Deulofeu, on loan at Sevilla, and others.

Time for Ter Stegen

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Another player who hasn't had the chance to make a true impression in La Liga is young Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Claudio Bravo's masterclass throughout this campaign has relegated the German to being Barca's cup 'keeper, something he is known to be unhappy about, per an interview with Catalan television network TV3, via Stefan Coerts of Goal:

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I am happy with the support from the fans and the work I do with my team-mates, but I am not satisfied with my role. 

The coach has been using me in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, but I also want to play in the Primera Division. 

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Given that someone of his evident ability isn't going to play understudy forever, is the new season the right time to blood a player that has waited patiently for his chance?

It's one of the most immediate decisions that Enrique needs to make, and woe betide him if he gets the tone wrong when delivering the news, whatever that may be.

La Masia Graduates—what Next?

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The wheels of Barca's famed La Masia academy haven't exactly fallen off, but there doesn't appear to be too much talent on the way through to the first team.

Having said that, Alen Halilovic and Adama Traore in particular are knocking on the door. The conundrum Enrique needs to solve is where exactly to place them. 

Too good for the Segunda Division, but, perhaps, not yet good enough to stake a permanent residency in the senior side, a loan move elsewhere for a season is probably a move that will suit all parties.

Munir El-Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez are two players who burst onto the scene earlier this season but have then disappeared back into the reserves.

Barca and Enrique can do without a similar situation occurring again.

First-team opportunities elsewhere will allow regular football at a higher level than what they have been used to, but without the inevitable pressure that comes with donning the Blaugrana.