Since Johan Cruyff sat on the Barcelona bench in 1988, the team’s most special and delicate position has been that of organizer. Milla was the first, Guardiola marked an era and Sergio Busquets has sublimated and modernized the position of 4. Replacing the captain is the club’s big priority in the market. “We need a high-level defensive pivot because a capital and very differentiating footballer is leaving”, remarks Xavi, worried about the football void left by his friend. Three of the squad have been the guiding thread, but footballers from other schools and continents have also passed through the position. The Romanian Popescu, the Dutch Cocu, a Brazilian like EdmÃlson, the Mexican Márquez and the Ivorian Touré adapted well. Now the sports leadership is convinced that it must go outside in search of the new anchor that acts as a link between defense and attack. The debate is served. Even Busquets has intervened these days: “I would bring Rodri but he is at City. Zubimendi can adapt well. Kimmich is another style, more German, of comings and goings. And Nico is an intermediate solution”.
MartÃn Zubimendi (24 years old) has stolen the heart of the coaching staff. He left a pleasant impression in Real Sociedad’s last victory at Camp Nou (1-2). At 0-2 he stole the ball from De Jong and launched the counterattack. In fact, the Basque recovers more balls than Busi himself (211 to 187 in the 2022-23 League). He is used to playing a style similar to that of Barça and the national team. In addition, in his last renewal he preferred not to add the termination clause, around 60 million. Of course, it is a basic piece for Imanol (more than 3,600 minutes) and has entered the Champions League. Despite not being the tallest (1.81), he knows how to use his physicality and aerial game very well (58 duels won from above) and knows the League well (112 games).
No one had put his name on the table, as he was considered out of reach, but suddenly Joshua Kimmich (28 years old) entered the radar of Barcelona because his relationship with the Bayern board is not going well moment for having supported the deposed Nagelsmann and Kahn. But the Bavarian giant is not willing to lose one of its emblems and is a tough negotiator, something Barça found out in the summer when they had to pay 45 million for Lewandowski, who only had one year left. The overwork for Kimmich would be for a 3×1 because the German is a pivot, interior and even lateral. Of all the futuribles he is the one who absorbs the game the most and in the Bundesliga almost in every game he reaches 100 interventions. Reliable in passing (89%), he lives in the opposite field (41 passes every 90 minutes in the attacking half) and nobody creates as many chances as him (2.8 per match). At 1.77m, the aerial game is not his forte (he wins 33% of the jumps). But his quality and experience in the Champions League (70 appearances) make it an impossible dream.
La Masia has been the most important factory of 4. Celades, Motta, Gerard, Oriol Romeu and Samper also came out of it. Nico González (A Coruña, 21 years old) is a home option. The son of Fran was very ambitious last summer when he requested a transfer in search of minutes. Xavi, reluctantly, agreed to be loaned to Valencia, where the season has not been a road of roses. He was a substitute for Gattuso seven times and, in the first match after Qatar, he broke his fifth metatarsal and had to undergo surgery. He played again in March and with Baraja he has made a delicate final stretch (11 starts), with a lot of presence in the game. “I saw him at a great level against Madrid. It is growing. The injury was unfortunate. In principle, he must return”, reflects Xavi. Nico barely loses 8 balls per game. It is very neat and has an interior style. He prefers to play short rather than long (only 3 times per match) and two thirds of his passes are in the opposite field. As if that wasn’t enough, he has over 80% success in dribbling.
The Portuguese Rúben Neves (26 years old) said goodbye to the fans of Wolverhampton, as he considers his departure certain. His agent, Jorge Mendes, a good friend of Laporta, has offered him, but Xavi has doubts. After six years playing in England, his style is very Premier, box to box, and not much Barça. He drives the ball a lot and his pass reliability is at 85%, and that 29 of his 50 passes per game are in his own field. The contrast is that he is the top scorer (6 goals this season) thanks to his great shot.
The Moroccan Amrabat (he will be 27 in August) is a slightly more defensive solution, which would give freedom and flight to De Jong. His magnificent World Cup put him in the window and in the winter they already thought about him but Fiorentina closed the door. He is a great recoverer, a more fixed, stable and tactical player (2.4 fouls). As he is aware of his limitations, he does not raffle the ball (9.7 turnovers per game) in order not to provoke counterattacks from the opponent. His role in the construction is smaller but would cost less than Zubimendi and has more international impact, two points in favor.
