FC Barcelona saw one of their veteran player in the squad, Sergio Busquets, depart after the last season. His exit left a big hole at the pivot position, as Busquets was one of the most unique players in his time, and it will be impossible to bring a like-for-like replacement for him.
However, the club still did their best to cover this position, as they brought in Oriol Romeu to play as the pivot and provide some steel to the club’s midfield. However, Romeu is already 31 years old, and he alone cannot be expected to remain the club’s only option at the pivot for the strenuous season ahead.
Barcelona lack a replacement for Romeu
Currently, Barcelona are preferring Frenkie de Jong to move into Romeu’s position whenever the Spaniard is not on the pitch. However, Frenkie’s best position on the pitch is not as a pivot, and another midfielder might be needed by Barcelona for Romeu’s replacement.
As Mundo Deportivo reports, Barcelona already have a budding player who plays in this position. This player is the youngster Marc Casado, the 19-year-old midfielder from Barcelona Atletic, whom Xavi has in first-team dynamics.
Marc Casado can be Romeu’s replacement
The report mentions that his name is already being considered by the technical staff as they ponder over the question of Romeu’s substitute. The club also refused the approach made by another club for Casado last summer, as they are counting on the youngster to take on more responsibilities in the coming years.
Casado has already been called up for the first four games of the season. Xavi likes Casado mainly for his positional ability, leadership, and decision-making. He can also play as an interior, and Xavi has already praised him for these attributes. The player has already made his debut under Xavi last season against Viktoria Plzen.
This season, Xavi is again planning to deploy Casado whenever the opportunity arises. Club technicians want him to get first-team minutes as soon as possible, and the club’s finances also make him a worthy option to invest playing time on.
Casado’s current contract runs till 2024, but the club has the option to extend it by another year. The Catalans are currently looking to protect the midfielder, and while no formal contacts have yet taken place, Barcelona consider him important and can offer him a long contract in the near future.
