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Barcelona close to adding perfect Andres Iniesta replacement

By Rucker Haringey

EMPOLI, ITALY - FEBRUARY 27: Miralem Pjanic of AS Roma scores a goal during the Serie A match between Empoli FC and AS Roma at Stadio Carlo Castellani on February 27, 2016 in Empoli, Italy. (Photo by Luciano Rossi/AS Roma via Getty Images)
EMPOLI, ITALY - FEBRUARY 27: Miralem Pjanic of AS Roma scores a goal during the Serie A match between Empoli FC and AS Roma at Stadio Carlo Castellani on February 27, 2016 in Empoli, Italy. (Photo by Luciano Rossi/AS Roma via Getty Images) /
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Barcelona are close to acquiring Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic

Barcelona understand that Andres Iniesta can’t be counted on to star in their midfield forever. That’s why Luis Enrique’s side is looking to add Roma’s Miralem Pjanic this summer as a long-term replacement for the classy midfielder.

La Gazzetta Sport is reporting that Barcelona is likely going to meet Pjanic’s 38 million pound release clause this summer to reunite the Bosnian midfield ace with his former manager. In acquiring Pjanic, Barca would be purchasing the perfect replacement for the venerable Iniesta. This is a perfect example of Barcelona being smart enough to purchase a replacement for an aging star before their performance really starts to dip.

Iniesta will be 33 next season, so it’s a reasonable bet that his play will start to drop off sooner rather than later. Father Time will catch up to the Spanish midfielder soon even though his play this season was still strong this season.

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Now, instead of waiting to see Iniesta’s form dip and then search for a replacement, the La Liga giants are going to proactively solve their problem. Adding Pjanic gives them a ready-made replacement for Iniesta for the future, while also adding a midfielder who can play alongside their legend immediately.

In all fairness, Pjanic might already be a better player than Iniesta is currently. He was a dominant force in Roma’s midfield this season and was a huge key to their ascent to third in the Serie A table. He was able to pour in 10 goals and contribute 12 assists on the campaign and was instrumental in pulling the strings for the side’s solid attack.

It’s quite likely that Pjanic’s passing acumen would show up even better playing for a side with Barcelona’s attacking talent. He would be deadly spraying the ball forward to the likes of Neymar, Messi and Suarez in attack. He could post an obscene assist total playing with teammates with that kind of skill.

If there’s any worthwhile criticism of Pjanic it might be his struggles in defense. While it’s true that he’s far from a midfield destroyer, it’s not as if Barcelona doesn’t usually enjoy massive advantages in time of possession. Simply put, they don’t need a midfielder who is great in defense because they aren’t asked to defend all that often.

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Barcelona deserve a ton of credit for having the foresight to acquire Iniesta’s replacement before his age starts to become an issue. Adding a player of Pjanic’s ability should allow the Spanish giants to continue on without missing a beat when it’s time for their legendary midfielder to move on.

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