Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has made it clear on many occasions that he is aware of the ‘entorno’, the surrounding environment, at the club on many occasions, and he is sending clear messages to his president, Joan Laporta. Last week he called finding a replacement for Sergio Busquets their number one priority in the market, and once again he has asked Barcelona to deliver him one this week.
The 34-year-old Busquets will play his last game at Camp Nou on Sunday against Real Mallorca, and bring to an end 15 years playing week in, week out. Some say he is the best ever in his position.
Speaking to Marca ahead of the Mallorca match, Xavi went as far as saying that without finding a suitable option to come in for Busquets, Barcelona will struggle to compete with their rivals.
“We have to find that piece. If we want to compete well next year, we have to find that piece. It’s the key to competing next year.”
He did say that there have been replacements in the past for Busquets, but that currently there were no options.
“Yes, Busquets has been replaced. I remember [Sergi] Samper, Oriol Romeu, Toure Yaya had to leave… The luck we’ve had is that Busquets has never been injured. I think that out of 50 games, he has always played 45 or 46. Now we are not clear about what substitute there is at home and we have to look for one elsewhere.”
In terms of what he was looking for, Xavi perhaps hinted that he was looking for someone slightly different from Busquets.
“Whoever is more complete, whoever is the best pivot to replace him. We depend on fair play. The profile has to be a very decisive player, natural, somebody who wins a lot of duels, physically strong, tactically intelligent and technically good.”
While Busquets has an imposing figure in the centre of the pitch, he has never stood out for his physicality, and perhaps Xavi is looking for a more battling present.
He was also asked about a change of cycle at Barcelona, but Xavi feels it is already underway.
“This year I would already say that a new stage has begun, but I don’t have the feeling of a generational change. We have made a change or natural evolution. Busquets doesn’t have a natural replacement and that’s why we need a top signing in this market.”
Only Sergi Roberto and Marc-Andre ter Stegen remain from Xavi’s own time with the team, eight years after his departure. Certainly it is a team increasingly short on experience too, with Robert Lewandowski, Roberto and ter Stegen the only players over 30 in the squad.
