Five clubs in Europe that need a squad rebuild

These teams will need to make a lot of changes to perform better next season.

The world of football is extremely competitive. Club football in particular sees stiff competition where teams try to get better every season. In order to win trophies, the respective clubs must sign the top talent available and create strong squads. The natural order of things dictates that every club must make changes to their roster to stay ahead of the competition.

Several teams are facing a similar challenge ahead of the next season. The 2021-22 campaign is heading to its conclusion. Teams that underperformed this year will need to make several changes to their team. A squad rebuild is like a surgery which is painful at the beginning but necessary and important in the end.

The advent of the summer transfer window allows football clubs to bring in fresh talent. Before 2022-23, the season officially commences, below five football clubs will aim to reinforce their squads. Therefore, here is a look at five clubs in Europe that need a squad rebuild:

FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona appointed their former player and club legend as the manager in November 2021. The Spaniard took over the reins at the club which was struggling with several issues, including the squad. Despite Xavi's appointment the club suffered in the start of the 2021/2022 season. The domestic performance saw a definite improvement but the squad still needs a host of changes. 

The upcoming transfer window will be the first under Xavi who will like to shape the team in his image. He inherited a squad which was not in sync, to say the least. The Blaugrana needs addition in defence, midfield and attack. They must trim the squad and let go of players that do not fit the identity which has brought the club success in the past.

RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig is unfortunate in the sense that it loses its key players to ‘bigger’ clubs almost every season. The German Bundesliga outfit saw their club captain Marcel Sabitzer join league rivals FC Bayern Munich. It also lost its two main centre-backs Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano to Liverpool and Bayern Munich respectively. 

The current season saw Christopher Nkunku deliver an incredible performance but it is likely he too will leave for greener pastures. To challenge FCB’s complete dominance of the league, RB Leipzig will need to add better quality to the team. 

Juventus FC

Juventus FC’s struggles started last season itself when the club lost the title to Inter Milan, after domination of nine years. The club let go of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Dejan Kulusevski, and Rodrigo Bentancur this season and is in need of a rebuild. Paulo Dybala is set to leave at the end of the season too. The Old Lady missed out on the title during the 2021-22 season too and barely managed a top-four finish.

Players like Giorgio Chiellini (37) and Leonardo Bonucci (35) are not getting younger by the day either. Therefore, the club desperately needs several new players, young and hungry to win. Toppling Inter Milan and a resurging AC Milan will be tough. Replacing the likes of Dybala will be a challenge but the rebuild could start with the possible return of Paul Pogba, who is likely to leave Manchester United.

Chelsea FC

Chelsea FC has new owners, after a successful takeover bid by a consortium led by Todd Boehly. Roman Abramovich’s era is over and with him, several players are looking at the exit door. Antonio Rudiger will leave after his contract ends at the end of the season and so will Andreas Christensen. Furthermore, Cezar Azpilicueta is close to joining FC Barcelona, Christian Pulisic is likely to replace Dybala at Juventus and Romelu Lukaku wants to return to Inter Milan. The club is in dire need for a rebuild.

The new owners will need to initiate a squad rebuild in the summer. It remains to be seen if that happens under Thomas Tuchel or a new manager. Competing against teams like Manchester City and Liverpool is a tough task. The 2020-21 UEFA Champions League winners must aim to win more silverware from next season onwards. 

Manchester United

The biggest squad rebuild in Europe will likely happen at Manchester United. Interim manager, Ralf Rangnick suggested that the team needs around seven or eight players to be competitive again. The Red Devils will finish the 2021-22 Premier League campaign with the lowest points total ever. Several players like Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, and Edinson Cavani will leave after their contract runs out this season. More players like Paul Pogba for instance will follow the exit door as the club desperately tries to rebuild and reset the culture of the dressing room.

The arrival of new permanent manager Erik ten Hag will begin the rebuild. He will definitely sign players who deem fit enough to don the iconic red jersey. MUFC is the most successful club in England with 20 league titles but has not won it since 2012-13. It desperately needs better quality to get back to challenging for the title and win a trophy, any trophy for that matter. 

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