The incorporation of new players at FC Barcelona this summer has finally come to a conclusion. Across the final day of the summer transfer window, the Catalan giants were able to finalize the arrivals of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix and Manchester City fullback Joao Cancelo.
Moreover, they managed to register both Portuguese stars in little to no time following their arrival as well as register Inigo Martinez just in time before the window closed. However, in regards to both new Portuguese arrivals, there are separate plans for their necessity within the team at the moment.
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Xavi Hernandez has a different approach in mind for both Cancelo and Felix moving forward given the profiles that they possess and the prior clubs that they have come from before joining Barcelona.
In the case of Joao Cancelo, Xavi believes his integration within the team will be immediate and expected. Given his prior experience with Pep Guardiola in Manchester City, the 29-year-old fullback has a strong understanding of positional play already.
His performance against Osasuna once he had been introduced before the 60th-minute mark showcased a great positional display as he managed to display his offense spark with a trivela cross to Robert Lewandowski as well as being a reliable defensive unit during proceedings.
23-year-old Joao Felix however, will have a different path to becoming a starter within the team. His experience with Atletico Madrid over the past few seasons will be a key factor for Xavi as he will first and foremost look to help Felix adapt to the Barcelona style of play.
Despite his current lack of understanding with positional play, the young forward provides a new depth to the team in the sense of a player with quick sharpness and a more direct approach to the game.
His usage of space and exploiting it could be a useful asset for Xavi Hernandez against certain opponents and it will be interesting to see exactly how FC Barcelona copes this season having both Joaos at their disposal for the 2023/2024 season.
