In a surprising turn of events, Oriol Romeu, the only natural and experienced midfield pivot in the Barcelona squad, left the Blaugrana camp in the USA to finalize his return to Girona on loan.
With his departure, Flick has lost even more depth in the midfield, which can hurt the team’s balance, even though Romeu did not play a very important role for Xavi last season.
Furthermore, Barcelona are also focusing fully on the signing of Dani Olmo for now, and a midfield pivot is expected to arrive only if there are sales of some of the current players in the squad.
Still, the Blaugrana fans do not need to panic as Flick has several options to cover for Romeu even if a new midfield pivot is not signed this summer. SPORT has identified six players whom Flick can use in Romeu’s stead for the next season.
One such option is Andreas Christensen, who has played mostly as a center-back during his professional career. However, Xavi deployed him as a pivot when he was short of options last season, and Christensen grew into that role as he played more games. His presence in this position was vital in providing defensive stability to the team, especially when facing quick counters.
Frenkie de Jong can be another option for Flick, especially as the Dutchman is already planning to be a key player for the German tactician in his double-pivot system. However, his physical problems can create issues for him, and his performances under Xavi also show that he is more comfortable when not given a strict positional role.
Gundogan, with all his experience, can also adapt to play at the pivot position. However, it is clear that he is the most productive when he plays closer to the box, and the player has acknowledged this preference. He suffers somewhat in the pivot position as he is not the midfielder who excels in covering a lot of area.
Casado established himself as another candidate for this role with his performance in the friendly against Manchester City. He showed his comfort with the pivot position and his upbringing in Barcelona style, while also impressing with his dynamism, competitiveness, and defensive astuteness in that match.
Marc Bernal is another option with his imposing physical presence and his ability to simplify the game with one-touch passes. He can also make runs into the box but played closest to the defense in the match against Manchester City.
Lastly, Gavi will be another option for Flick once he returns from his injury in October or November. Some of his best performances last season came deeper in the midfield, as this allowed him to cover a lot of area and make full use of his energy and dynamism.
Thus, despite Romeu’s departure and the difficulties in signing another midfielder, Flick will not have to worry a lot about the midfield, as he already has several options to find a good formula for the next season.
