Barcelona are closing in on the third season of the Ernesto Valverde era, yet there are several mysteries surrounding the club's 2019/20 season with questions still to be answered in the coming weeks.
A catastrophic Champions League defeat to Liverpool ensured the 2018/19 season was to be another disappointment in continental terms, yet the club have been demanded by fans that a team is constructed that is capable of winning the big trophy once more.
Transfers have already happened at the club with Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann arriving, yet there are still a number of issues that Valverde and Josep Maria Bartomeu must resolve sooner rather than later.
1. The right-hand side
Nelson Semedo has asked to leave, but Barcelona aren't going to make it easy for him to do so.
Atletico Madrid was an option for him, but he wasn't able to be included in the deal for Antoine Griezmann due to the presence of a buyout clause.
Valverde likes the Portuguese defender but has preferred to rotate between him and Sergi Roberto, leaving a gap for an unprecedented first choice at right back.
2. The left-hand side
This is the most urgent area for Los Cules in terms of recruitment. Lucas Digne's departure has left Jordi Alba as the sole left back in the senior team, especially with the former Athletic Club coach not rating Miranda.
There are two options on the table, and one is very cost effective, whilst the other is more expensive. Filipe Luis is available at no cost after his contract with Atletico Madrid expired, whilst Junior Firpo would cost 50 million euros from Real Betis.
3. The central defenders
Jeison Murillo and Thomas Vermaelen have both left and Matthijs de Ligt hasn't arrived. Samuel Umtiti will thus keep his place, whilst Gerard Pique will continue to run the defence alongside Clement Lenglet.
Umtiti will play an important part provided his knee holds up, whereas Jean-Clair Todibo will be expected to contribute as a rotation option.
4. A possible change of system
It's been 16 years since Frank Rijkaard arrived and reintroduced 4-3-3 to the Camp Nou.
The system has been in place ever since, especially during the years of Pep Guardiola, however it isn't one Valverde favours.
A 4-4-2 has been the formation the Spanish coach has looked to use for the most part since arriving, although a lot of that may be down to the wingers at his disposal.
How will Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann be utilised? Will four midfielders be used to protect Sergio Busquets?
The natural thing would be to keep a 4-3-3 formation and adapt it to the characteristics of the players, but that may well depend on what happens with Ousmane Dembele.
5. Young vs old players
Valverde doesn't want a bloated squad, but he has a lot of players who exceed the age of 30. Pique, Alba, Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Messi and Suarez are all the wrong side of 30 but are guarantees in the starting XI.
It remains to be seen how the coach is able to find a balance between young and old players, he doesn't want to exhaust the veteran players and we could see a far greater role for De Jong and Arthur.
6. Who will be a regular in central midfield?
Five into three simply doesn't go, and that is exactly the problem that is facing the Blaugrana's coaching staff with regards to their midfield options.
If, as is expected, a 4-3-3 system is used, then there are only three regular starting positions up for grabs. Busquets, Rakitic and Arturo Vidal are the experienced heads in the position, whilst there is significant confidence in Arthur after an outstanding debut campaign at the Camp Nou.
However, the question is just how much football De Jong will receive in his first season with Barcelona. His time at Ajax showed him to be capable of contributing immediately, and fans may not necessarily accept him being left on the bench.
7. Sign another forward or bring Neymar back?
Completing a transfer to rescue Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain will be incredibly complex and is very unlikely to happen.
Bartomeu can't put together a deal to sign the Brazilian without offering numerous players in exchange.
Even if they somehow manage to tempt PSG to agree to such a deal, progress would then depend on persuading the outgoing players to swap life in LaLiga Santander for Ligue 1.
Barcelona do want to add another attacking option though, and with Neymar looking less and less likely, a centre forward to be backup is likely to arrive.
8. Departures
Jasper Cillessen, Murillo, Vermaelen and Kevin-Prince Boateng have all left the club, whilst Paco Alcacer and Andre Gomes saw their loan deals become permanent transfers.
The Catalan giants aren't finished there though, and it's likely a number of other players will leave. Just where these players will end up isn't yet decided, however Rafinha and Malcom are up for sale.
Philippe Coutinho's situation is unclear, especially with the player so determined to stay, and nobody knows is the untransferable Dembele is still seen as such.
9. Valverde's position
A large portion of the club's fanbase didn't want the coach to continue after the disappointing end to the 2018/19 season.
For many a second successive Champions League elimination after holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg was unforgivable.Yet, Bartomeu and co decided that Valverde would continue in his role, but the pressure is certainly on him.
If Barcelona don't get off to a good start this term then the atmosphere in the stands could become toxic.
His LaLiga Santander successes hold great weight with the club's hierarchy, especially the president, but he will be scrutinised heavily from this point.
10. Bartomeu and his legacy
It would be difficult for Bartomeu to leave a legacy as stained as that as Sandro Rosell, yet it may be even more difficult for him to leave one as prestigious as that of Joan Laporta, even if much of that was due to the brilliance of Guardiola and Messi.
Never before has a Barcelona president held as much power as Bartomeu does in 2019, he is the one heading the negotiations for new signings, he is the one who made the decision whether to sign Griezmann and will do the same with Neymar.
He has two more years left in his term and he is desperate to win a Champions League before he may be forced to depart and after he fought so hard for Valverde to stay, he has put all his eggs in the basket of Ernesto Valverde.