Three players set to be affected by Barcelona’s impending acquisition of Premier League ace

It is no secret that Barcelona are in talks with Manchester City over Rodri.

The captain of the Spanish World Cup winning team was close to join Real Madrid recently but has opted to join Barcelona instead.

Although the Catalans have a long way to go before they can reach an agreement with Man City, it is increasingly likely that Rodri will become a Barcelona player next season.

Three players set to be impacted

De Jong will be hit hard by Rodri’s arrival. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Needless to say, Rodri’s potential arrival could directly impact the future of multiple Barcelona stars who operate in the midfield position.

A recent report from Diario SPORT has highlighted three such players in Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casado and Tommy Marques.

De Jong has already left Barcelona angered over his slow recovery from injury and decision to avoid surgery, even though he has not made progress in months.

De Jong is a direct competitor to Rodri and given the latter’s standing as a Ballon d’Or, it is hard to imagine how he will displace either Rodri or Pedri.

While de Jong can still at least fight for a place in the team, Casado has no real prospects and is likely to leave the club, having already been linked with a move elsewhere.

The same can be said for Marques as well. Barcelona, in fact, are ready to cash in on the La Masia youth prodigy who has a €20 million release clause.

Marc Bernal set to benefit

Having a mentor like Rodri could aid Bernal’s long-term growth. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

While Marc Bernal, too, might be affected by Rodri’s arrival, it is only short-term.

Bernal is seen as a potential face of the future Barcelona midfield. And keeping that in mind, having someone like Rodri mentor him can only help him improve himself.

Rodri can help the youngster add more physicality to his game and become more situationally aware.

In the short run, though, the youngster may have to settle for fewer opportunities in the Barcelona midfield, even though he is fourth in line after Rodri, Pedri and de Jong.