The midfielder ended a glorious spell at Camp Nou to continue his career in Japan, leaving the Catalans with an unfillable hole in the squad
Newly appointed Barcelona technical director Eric Abidal admitted that Andres Iniesta is irreplaceable at Camp Nou.
Abidal, who made 125 league appearances for the club between 2007 and 2013, replaced Robert Hernandez after the Spaniard's contract expired and will work alongside head coach Ernesto Valverde in the 2018-19 season.
Barca have been linked with the likes of Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan and Frenkie de Jong of Ajax as potential midfield signings this summer, but Abidal feels that no one can fill the void of the man who broke Catalan hearts when he left for Japanese club Vissel Kobe at the end of the season.