Barcelona already have “ideal” Sergio Busquets replacement according to former youth coach

Ahead of next season, one of the most important jobs for Xavi Hernandez and co will be to replace Sergio Busquets, who is leaving Barcelonan in the summer once his contract expires.

Busquets has been ever-present for Barcelona for much of the last 14 years, and given that he is the only natural pivot or defensive midfielder at the club this season, replacing him will be a priority.

Several names have been linked with doing so, including Martin Zubimendi, Joshua Kimmich and Sofyan Amrabat, although former Barca Atletic coach Garcia Pimienta, who is the manager of Las Palmas, believes that Nico Gonzalez is the heir to Busquets’ throne, as per Sport.

“Nico is the ideal player to be a pivot for Barcelona. He measures 1.88 cm, is strong, wins duels, does not lose position and gives a lot of continuity to the game with vertical passes.”

Pimienta coached Nico, who is currently on loan at Valencia, while he was in charge at Barca Atletic, so he has a fairly clear understanding of the 21-year-old’s ability.

Given Barcelona’s financial situation, retaining Nico as first-choice pivot would be an economically-sound decision. However, despite having impressed at Valencia, there will be question marks over his ability to be a primary option.

Image via Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Tags Barcelona Garcia Pimienta Nico Gonzalez Sergio Busquets
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