barca blaugranes 
25-04-2024 08:56
25-04-2024 08:56
Xavi stays but Barcelona still have some big decisions to make
Xavi is set to stay on as Barcelona coach for next season after meeting with Joan Laporta and deciding he won’t be stepping down after all.
It’s the end of the managerial saga that threatened to dominate the summer, which is a relief, but there’s still plenty more big decisions the club need to make.
Let’s have a look:
Who will be Barca’s pivot? We all know that signings will be difficult this summer but Barca are thought to be determined to bring in a new pivot. Oriol Romeu was brought in last summer but already seems to have half a foot out of the door and is clearly not the answer.
Many names have already been mentioned but the choice may come down to who Barca can afford. A free agent, such as Guido Rodriguez, looks more likely that Xavi’s preference of Martin Zubimendi or Joshua Kimmich.
Barca Atletic captain Marc Casado may also get minutes next season as it’s thought he will be promoted to the first-team squad and handed a new contract.
What to do with the Joaos? Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo have regularly made it crystal clear they are more than happy on loan at Barcelona and would love to stay past the end of the current season. As things stand, it’s not entirely clear if the feeling is mutual.
Once again it may all come down to cost. Felix looks well outside Barca’s price range but another loan has already been mooted. Barca must now decide if they want to try and keep a player who has 10 goals this season but has increasingly been used as a substitute.
Cancelo is in a similar situation. Manchester City won’t let him go on the cheap but don’t seem to want him either. Xavi has played the defender regularly, on both flanks, but there are serious concerns about his continuity after mistakes against PSG and Real Madrid.
Big sale - who goes? Perhaps the biggest question of all ahead of the summer is who Barca will sell if they do, as expected, have to make a big sale to try and balance the books. The rumor mill has already been churning out names with Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong once again top of the list.
Bayern are keen on Araujo and the whispers over his future have been growing louder after his red card against PSG. Yet Xavi is a firm fan and will surely be against letting the defender walk away.
De Jong has already resisted an exit on many occasions and there’s little to suggest he won’t do the same again. Lamine Yamal may well attract huge offers this summer but it would be unthinkable to sell a teenager who is expected to go on and define an era at the club.
All of which suggests players such as Raphinha and Jules Kounde are the most likely options to go out - two players who have really impressed in recent weeks but could command high transfer fees. Some difficult decisions await that’s for sure.
Can Bernardo’s Barca dream come true? And amid all the talk about Xavi’s future going on there’s also been a fresh batch of rumors regarding Bernardo Silva and Barcelona.
By all accounts, Bernardo remains eager to sign for the Catalans and is ready to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.
Xavi would surely love to have Bernardo too, but unless the club can get their finances in some kind of order there’s no chance of landing the Portugal international.
This week has brought optimistic updates that Barca think they can return to the 1:1 rule this summer and potentially make Bernardo’s Barca dream come true. It still all looks highly at unlikely at this point but the rumor mill seems to think Barca will at least try for Bernardo this summer.
It’s the end of the managerial saga that threatened to dominate the summer, which is a relief, but there’s still plenty more big decisions the club need to make.
Let’s have a look:
Who will be Barca’s pivot? We all know that signings will be difficult this summer but Barca are thought to be determined to bring in a new pivot. Oriol Romeu was brought in last summer but already seems to have half a foot out of the door and is clearly not the answer.
Many names have already been mentioned but the choice may come down to who Barca can afford. A free agent, such as Guido Rodriguez, looks more likely that Xavi’s preference of Martin Zubimendi or Joshua Kimmich.
Barca Atletic captain Marc Casado may also get minutes next season as it’s thought he will be promoted to the first-team squad and handed a new contract.
What to do with the Joaos? Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo have regularly made it crystal clear they are more than happy on loan at Barcelona and would love to stay past the end of the current season. As things stand, it’s not entirely clear if the feeling is mutual.
Once again it may all come down to cost. Felix looks well outside Barca’s price range but another loan has already been mooted. Barca must now decide if they want to try and keep a player who has 10 goals this season but has increasingly been used as a substitute.
Cancelo is in a similar situation. Manchester City won’t let him go on the cheap but don’t seem to want him either. Xavi has played the defender regularly, on both flanks, but there are serious concerns about his continuity after mistakes against PSG and Real Madrid.
Big sale - who goes? Perhaps the biggest question of all ahead of the summer is who Barca will sell if they do, as expected, have to make a big sale to try and balance the books. The rumor mill has already been churning out names with Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong once again top of the list.
Bayern are keen on Araujo and the whispers over his future have been growing louder after his red card against PSG. Yet Xavi is a firm fan and will surely be against letting the defender walk away.
De Jong has already resisted an exit on many occasions and there’s little to suggest he won’t do the same again. Lamine Yamal may well attract huge offers this summer but it would be unthinkable to sell a teenager who is expected to go on and define an era at the club.
All of which suggests players such as Raphinha and Jules Kounde are the most likely options to go out - two players who have really impressed in recent weeks but could command high transfer fees. Some difficult decisions await that’s for sure.
Can Bernardo’s Barca dream come true? And amid all the talk about Xavi’s future going on there’s also been a fresh batch of rumors regarding Bernardo Silva and Barcelona.
By all accounts, Bernardo remains eager to sign for the Catalans and is ready to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.
Xavi would surely love to have Bernardo too, but unless the club can get their finances in some kind of order there’s no chance of landing the Portugal international.
This week has brought optimistic updates that Barca think they can return to the 1:1 rule this summer and potentially make Bernardo’s Barca dream come true. It still all looks highly at unlikely at this point but the rumor mill seems to think Barca will at least try for Bernardo this summer.