How do Barcelona replace the brilliant Sergio Busquets?

There’s no doubt that Sergio Busquets ranks as one of the best defensive midfielders of all time, but with his time at Barcelona coming towards it’s conclusion, how should they go about replacing him?

It seems as if this will be Busquets' final season at Barcelona before he jets off to the MLS. 

We’ve taken a look into what he brings to this Barcelona side and how they could go about replacing him. 

His legacy at Barcelona 

Busquets has racked up over 650 appearances for Barcelona and he has won 30 trophies throughout his time with the club. 

He was an integral part of their last three Champions League winning campaigns and was part of arguably the best midfield trio of all time. 

The Spanish midfielder has won eight league titles with Barcelona and has been an ever-present member of their midfield for the last decade. 

Perhaps one of Busquets' most underrated characteristics has been to stay relatively injury-free throughout his entire career. 

Since his debut season in 2008/09, Busquets has played over 40 matches across all competitions in every single season. 

Last season he racked up 3,202 minutes in La Liga and was Barcelona’s most used player. 

He has managed to seamlessly adapt to every new manager and he’s been instrumental in Xavi’s rebuild so far. 

How he did last season 

Busquets is the ultimate press-resistant midfielder. 

Last season he completed a total of 383 passes in La Liga whilst under pressure from the opposition, which was the most of any Barcelona player. 

He also completed 105 switches of play, which is a pass which travels more than 40 yards of the pitch. 

The 34-year-old averaged 76.9 passes per game and had a pass completion rate of 87.6%. 

Barcelona will be hard pressed to find someone as refined on the ball as Busquets that also offers a great deal off the ball. 

Last season he racked up 12 yellow cards, but he always seems to know how far he can push his luck with the referee. 

This season Busquets was shown his first red card since the 2012-13 season. 

A master of the tactical foul, he averaged 1.5 fouls per game last season. 

His work off the ball is what makes Busquets such a pivotal piece in the Barcelona system. He averaged 2.6 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 0.8 clearances all without breaking a sweat. 

He created around one chance per game last season too and he managed to hold the midfield together, even when the team was going through a rocky period. 

How do they replace him? 

A few different names have been thrown around, but whoever comes in will have massive boots to fill. 

Ruben Neves has been one player linked with Barcelona and he could prove to be an interesting replacement for Busquets. 

The Wolves midfielder is also excellent when under pressure as he made 323 passes whilst under pressure from the opposition last season. 

Wolves have done well to keep hold of Neves for so long, but if Barcelona comes calling it will be a tough offer to turn down. 

Neves also excels when it comes to his long-range passing. In the Premier League last season, he completed 123 passes which travelled more than 40 yards. 

The 25-year-old is also a brilliant long-range finisher and would bring a new skill set to Xavi’s side. 

Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad has also been discussed as a potential replacement for the outgoing Busquets. 

The Sociedad midfielder made 261 passes whilst under pressure last season and his work rate off the ball is also noticeable. 

This season for example, he has averaged three tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game. 

Whoever Barcelona decide to replace Busquets with, they will have massive boots to fill.