Barcelona Transfers: 10 Players They Must Sign This Summer

It's been claimed by some that Philippe Coutinho, a €120m January acquisition from Liverpool, is the man currently earmarked to take on Iniesta's playmaking duties next season.

But this has never seemed like a completely natural fit: the Brazilian is far less an eye-of-the-needle creative type than he is a traditional, goal-getting number 10.

To fill the number eight shirt, you ideally need a player capable of setting the tempo of the game. A player who can unlock deep-lying defences with combination play around the penalty box. A player who is already acquainted with the idiosyncratic Barcelona style.

So, how about Thiago Alcantara? A product of La Masia, the Bayern Munich star knows all about the on- and off-field demands of playing in Catalonia, and at 27, he's at the perfect age to replace Iniesta at the heart of the midfield.