As is understood in the most recent of reports concerning FC Barcelona, they are looking to bring back their greatest-ever player to the club once more in order to catapult the side back toward European dominance. With La Liga secured and the Spanish Super Cup won as well, their domestic success needs to be translated into European success next season.
FC Barcelona are looking to bring back Lionel Messi to the club following his own two-year stint at Paris Saint Germain that has not necessarily been the most successful of endeavors given that the French club’s primary objective to this date remains winning the UEFA Champions League, a feat they were unable to manage even while possessing the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr and Messi himself.
In a report by RELEVO, Xavi Hernandez at least on a personal and sporting level already counts on Messi for next season and has devised several strategies, systems, and formations in which he hopes to slot the Argentine to maximize his output for the team. Those are as follows:
Right-winger:
Naturally a very demanding position in terms of work rate, Messi is a player who in recent times has resorted to preserving his energy for most parts of the game in order to add to his dynamism when he does indeed have the ball at his feet.
Consequently, he preserves his energy by reducing his off-the-ball movement and participation. Thus, to deploy him at the right wing, the interior behind him and the full-back on his flank will both need to put in an extra shift to compensate for Messi and allow him more freedom and energy to create and wreak havoc when he receives the ball instead.
False-9:
A position almost synonymous with Lionel Messi himself, it was under Pep Guardiola’s instructions that the Argentine was first deployed as a false 9 in a La Liga game against Real Madrid in 2009 for Matchday 34. The match would end in a 6-2 victory for La Blaugrana at the Santiago Bernabeu courtesy of that tactical masterclass at the hands of Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi.
Xavi hopes to deploy him in a similar role yet again, with the system around him expected to compensate for his work rate, although not as much as it would have to if he were to be deployed primarily as a right winger, and then courtesy of his availability as a false 9, even Robert Lewandowski would be awarded some rest following the demanding season he has just had in his very first year at FC Barcelona.
Interior:
Lastly, the option to deploy Messi primarily and significantly as a creative outlet in the heart of the midfield is also an option Xavi Hernandez is considering. The player has showcased throughout this recent season at PSG that he is more than capable of occupying deeper roles on the field and still being highly effective as a difference-maker within the team.
