Since Johan Cruyff sat on the Barcelona bench in 1988, the team's most special and delicate position is 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 top priority in the market. "We need a high-level defensive pivot because he is leaving a capital and very differential footballer," remarks Xavi, who is concerned about the football void left by his friend.
Three homegrown players have been the common thread, although footballers from other schools and continents have also passed through the position. The Romanian Popescu, the Dutchman Cocu, a Brazilian like Edmílson, the Mexican Márquez and the Ivorian Touré adapted well.
Now the sports dome is convinced that it has to go out in search of the new anchor that acts as glue between defense and attack. The debate is served. Even Busquets has intervened these days in interviews: “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 a compromise solution”.
Martín Zubimendi (24 years old) has the heart stolen from the coaching staff. He left a great impression in Real Sociedad's last victory at the 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 in the national team. In addition, in his last renewal he preferred that the termination clause not be raised, around 60 million. Of course, he is a basic piece for Imanol (more than 3,600 minutes) and he has entered the Champions League with the team he loves. Despite not being the tallest (1.81) he knows how to use his physique and the aerial game very well (58 games won by above) and knows the League well (112 games).
Nobody had put his name on the table, considering it out of reach, but suddenly Joshua Kimmich (28 years old) entered Barcelona's radar since his relationship with the Bayern board is not going through the best moment for supporting the dismissed Nagelsmann and Kahn. But the Bavarian giant is not about to lose one of his emblems and he is a tough negotiator, something that Barça verified last summer when they had to pay 45 million for Lewandowski who only had one year left. The extra effort by Kimmich would be for a 3x1 because the German is a pivot, interior and even a winger.
Of all the futures, he is the one that absorbs the game the most and in the Bundesliga almost every day he reached 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 game). At 1.77m, the aerial game is not his virtue (he wins 33% of the jumps). But his quality and his experience in the Champions League (70 appearances) make him an impossible dream.
La Masia has been the largest factory of 4. Celades, Motta, Gerard, Oriol Romeu or Samper also left. So Nico González (A Coruña, 21 years old) is an option from home. Fran's son was very ambitious last summer when he asked for a transfer in search of minutes. Xavi reluctantly agreed to let him go on loan to Valencia, where the season has not been a bed of roses. He was a seven-time substitute for Gattuso and in the first match against Qatar, he broke his fifth metatarsal and had to undergo surgery. He returned to play in March and with Baraja he has made an exquisite final stretch (11 starts) with a lot of presence in the game. “I saw him at a high level against Madrid. Is growing. The injury was a pity. In principle he has to come back ”, reflects Xavi.
Nico barely loses 8 balls per game. He is very neat and has an internalized style. He prefers to play short than long (only 3 times per game) and two thirds of his passes are in the opposite field. As if that were not enough, he exceeds 80% success in his dribbling.
The Portuguese Rúben Neves (26 years old) said goodbye to the Wolverhampton fans, taking his departure for granted. His agent, Jorge Mendes, a good friend of Laporta, has offered it although Xavi has doubts. After six years playing in England, his style is very Premier, box to box, and little Barça. He drives the ball a lot and his pass reliability remains at 85%, even though 29 of his 50 passes per game are in his own half. What contrasts with the fact that he is the top scorer (6 goals this season) thanks to his great shot.
The Moroccan Amrabat (he will turn 27 in August) is a slightly more defensive solution, which would give De Jong freedom and flight. His magnificent World Cup, where he reached the semifinals, put him in the showcase and in winter he was already thought of but Fiorentina closed the door.
He is a great recuperator, a more fixed, stable and tactical player (2.4 fouls). Being aware of his limitations, he does not raffle the ball (9.7 turnovers per game) so as not to provoke counterattacks from the opponent. His role in construction is less, but he would cost less than Zubimendi and he has more international repercussions, two points in favor.
