The reign of Sergio Busquets must finally come to an end! Frenkie de Jong will soon replace him in midfield

It is already the time when FC Barcelona is working on the line-up for next season. However, given the club’s precarious financial situation, the only viable solution to the new project will be a compromise. Of particular interest will be the defensive midfielder position, which has been dominated by Sergio Busquets for many years. What decision will Xavi make? Will he still rely on his former teammate or will it be the turn of a new horse?

When Frenkie de Jong arrived at Camp Nou from Ajax in 2019, it looked like the beginning of the end of Busquets’ career at Barcelona. Sergio was already 31 years old and it was increasingly pointed out that in modern football, his shortcomings often determine the outcome of a match. Speed and agility were never his strong points. With age, then, these weaknesses become a depressing reality for many fans.

Still, he maintains a great overview of the game that few on the pitch possess, which is why previous coaches let him play in midfield alongside de Jong instead of sending the seasoned Spanish international to the sidelines. The Dutchman’s third season at Barcelona thus invites us to draw some conclusions.

One of them urges that Frenkie’s current role and contribution to the team is not commensurate with both the transfer sum and the salary. This is one of the problems that Xavi must solve. In addition, he now has a number of talents at his disposal for the central midfield position. Gavi, Nico or Pedro offer options that have not been considered before. The coach must keep in mind the fact that Sergio will be 34 this year and someone younger should slowly take his place.

Frenkie or the arrival of a defensive midfielder?

Looking at the longer time horizon, it is logical to slowly push Busquets out of the starting lineup. Best to start now. Barcelona have at least two candidates for a defensive midfielder with the responsibility of a withdrawn playmaker. Let’s focus on the Dutch option first.

Frequent movement between the two stoppers is Frenkie’s daily bread – he has played over 100 games in his career at defensive midfielder and central defender. His natural ability to break through opponents’ formations with the ball and link up with attacking actions from deep inside the box makes him a model for the modern defensive midfielder. In a more static positional attack, however, the Dutchman loses out and his defensive security is left on the sidelines.

In the current situation, deploying De Jong in this position seems not only sensible but also necessary. If Sergio is first choice again in a year’s time, then the situation of a player bought for millions of euros, who played in his position before his transfer to Barcelona, may solve at least a few dilemmas. In this case, Xavi’s golden rule of playing those who deserve it most could be a sign of dangerous short-sightedness.

Even though Sergio has played a remarkable spring and injuries have eluded him, in the context of the sporting project for next season, Barcelona can only lose. On the other hand, selling Frenkie is a financially tempting option. True, it presents a new problem. The club needs to find a defensive midfielder who will guarantee them a proper level for the money, and there aren’t many of those on the market.

Sergio’s departure will set off a chain reaction

Busquets is an exceptional midfielder. Underrated for years and behind Barcelona’s and the Spanish national team’s greatest successes. It is he who has had to adjust the team’s play to bear fruit. If he disappears, many solutions won’t make sense in principle. The natural consequence will be some balance in the middle of the pitch that can bring tangible benefits at least in defence.

Nico, Gavi, Frenkie and Pedri are players who fit the profile of a modern midfielder. They can defend and attack, they are not afraid of the dribble and they run a lot. Sergio must look like a static and overly elegant midfielder from the 90s against them. With these new faces, the formation can be arranged in many ways.

In the post-Busquets era at Barcelona, the role of the defensive midfielder may be completely different. Instead of hundreds of passes in a match, seventy may become the norm, but with more frequent charging for space. The everyday life on the pitch may also be the defensive midfielder’s forays into the opposition’s penalty area, like Rodri does at Manchester City or Casemiro does at Real Madrid.

Not to mention more effective defensive returns. Of course, such a transformation will cost money. Especially in the case of selling Frenkie and having to add two or even three new players to the midfield. But Xavi’s team has to go through this, and the later it happens, the less time there will be to patch up the holes in the tactical concept that will emerge in the following games.

Time to make bold decisions

Mateu Alemany is doing an incredibly important job behind the scenes at the Catalan big club. Step by step, he is listing the pieces of the clumsily completed jigsaw that don’t fit Xavi’s concept at all. However, the sporting project at the club’s offices has only just begun. It’s up to the coach to decide how each player will develop and what transfer moves will need to be made in the summer.

The millions of football experts doing their profession for free from their TV seats after the El Clácic defeat have already delivered their verdict – Frenki must be sold and Busquets must be benched.

When asked about other necessary signings after the depletion of two key midfielders, it would probably be hard for the management to bring in similar players for a solid penny. However, there is room for compromise between this radical solution and stagnation, and if Xavi sees it, success can be guaranteed.

Source: FC Barcelona