FC Barcelona continue to aspire for titles and glory alike with massive objectives to meet. To achieve such targets, the Catalans will want their squad to be at the best possible level and the only way to do this is if all their players are consistently performing at their extreme bests.
However, this becomes gradually more and more difficult to do when players within the team are not motivated enough to retain their place. Once players become undisputed starters with no competition for their spots, they tend to become complacent and fail to perform at their best week in and week out.
As a result, according to a recent report by ESPN, Xavi Hernandez is looking for competition. As per the report, the Barcelona head coach wants new recruits for both the fullback positions as well as the pivot position in the upcoming summer transfer window.
It appears that the Barcelona coach believes none of these aforementioned positions are well covered in terms of depth. With Romeu being the only specialist pivot in the team, Xavi wants more talent present there to be incorporated.
One of those major names, as per ESPN, remains that of German midfielder Joshua Kimmich. Currently contracted to Bayern Munich, the midfielder was linked heavily to Barca this summer but financial reasons prohibited the Catalan giants from directly pursuing his signature.
However, ESPN believes that Barcelona are still hopeful regarding Bayern Munich being lenient on their financial ask regarding Kimmich next summer as his contract is set to expire in 2025.
Then comes the problem of fullbacks. During the summer, Juan Foyth was a name being discussed. However, due to Villarreal’s asking price, they were unable to contest or contemplate his signing any further.
For now, Xavi remains more than satisfied with Joao Cancelo at right-back, however. His offensive contributions have truly uplifted Barcelona and made them a much more dangerous side moving forward.
The only concern lies in making his loan deal permanent. With no purchase option involved, Barcelona will have to negotiate a fee with Manchester City to make his transfer permanent but there is optimism regarding City and Barça coming to an agreement close to the initially agreed purchase option value of around €25 million.
Lastly, Xavi also wanted a forward to compete directly with Robert Lewandowski. That wish has already been granted with the capture of the Brazilian gem Vitor Roque. The 18-year-old is set to either arrive in January or next summer depending on how financial fair play evolves for Barcelona moving forward.
