5 Barcelona Players Of Tomorrow (Who Are Currently Excelling At Other Clubs)

2. Koke

Atletico Madrid star Koke would be a more direct replacement for Xavi. The playmaker has seen his stock rise under Diego Simeone at the Vicente Calderon. Koke is now getting regular call-ups to Vicente Del Bosque's Spanish national roster. This came off the back of Europa League triumphs and La Roja winning the European Under-21 championship during the summer. With Atletico back at Europe's top table, he has the chance to impress his suitors that also include Manchester United. Barcelona and Atletico have done business before as David Villa swapped Catalonia for the Spanish capital in the summer. The signing of Koke, who reportedly has a £16 million release clause in his contract, could be a tactical move too. Atletico are Barca's nearest challengers in La Liga sitting a point behind them in the table. Get Koke and perhaps the edifice would come crashing down with it. That could well be a price worth paying as the 21-year-old may stay in Madrid until 2018 when his deal runs out.
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Jamie Clark is a qualified Web Journalist after undergoing professional training at the University of Sheffield. A prolific and accredited sports writer, he also enjoys classic comedy, historic fiction, 80s music and heritage.