The FC Barcelona first team begins the 2023-24 pre-season today with the mandatory medical tests after the summer and the first training session to be held in the afternoon at the sports city. For this first contact Xavi will have 25 footballers. Eleven from the first team, Dest, Abde and Nico who are returning from loan and 11 other homegrown players. They are the first but not the last. Still to be added are the 10 internationals who played official or friendly commitments with their national teams and who will join from Saturday, July 15. In this second group is Ilkay Gündogan. The star signing of the season heads a list that completes Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Ter Stegen, Dembélé, Koundé, Christensen, Kessié, Gavi and Ansu Fati, these two being the last called up after winning the Nations League.
For the moment Xavi will work today with a first group. He will have Marcos Alonso, Araújo, Pedri, Balde, Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia, Sergi Roberto, Iñaki Peña and Pablo Torre. Iñigo Martínez, the second reinforcement of the season, will also be released. In addition, three more players who were loaned out last year are returning: Dest, Abde and Nico. Neither Lenglet nor Collado appear on the list, looking for a way out
“Abde has matured a lot. He has made a difference in many matches with Osasuna”, Xavi said of the Moroccan winger. Unless the coach tells him that he can’t guarantee minutes, Abde will stay. As for Nico González, who had a good season in Valencia, Xavi doesn’t want to let him out of his sight, but he doesn’t see him as a replacement for Busquets either. He will have a preseason to show that he can be a good relief. He won’t be the only one. Homegrown players Marc Casadó and Pau Prim will also be in that position, who together with Lamine Yamal lead the group of 11 homegrown players who will do the preseason.
“On Monday all the players will start from scratch. They must be prepared ”, warned Xavi Hernández in his campus presentation. After a summer in which the only exit that has been closed is that of Umtiti, with whom an agreement was reached to terminate his contract, the coach wants to re-evaluate his squad before setting up the list of players that on 19 July they will tour the United States. If they don’t convince him now, he will have that uncomfortable conversation with the indicated players to tell them that, now, they should look for a way out because he doesn’t have them.
Beyond Lenglet, Dest and Collado from the group of returning loanees and with whom Xavi still does not count, his departure plan before closing the season also included the names of Kessié, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati. He is also open to hearing offers for Eric Garcia. In the case of Kessié, Xavi acknowledged having had a conversation with him in which he told him that he is not guaranteed minutes given the fierce competition he will have in a midfield that includes Pedri, Gavi, De Jong and Gündogan. The footballer is only willing to move if an interesting sports project arrives, with the Premier League as the most attractive destination, or a great financial offer from Saudi Arabia.
With Ansu Fati and with Ferran Torres he has not yet spoken although they both sense his will. For his part, Ferran Torres wants to continue as a blaugrana player. The man from Foios, who arrived in December 2021, is looking to complete a preseason as a Barça player for the first time since a foot injury prevented him from doing so last year. As for Ansu Fati, the 10th for Barça since Messi left and the second scorer in the squad with 10 goals, being the striker who has played the fewest minutes, he has followed the example of De Jong last year. He has told his agent, Jorge Mendes, his family and the club that he does not want to leave. After winning the Nations League with Spain, Fati wants to make sure and win his place. Everyone will have their chance.
