One of the main objectives of FC Barcelona for the short term is to find a footballer who can play the role of Sergio Busquets for the next few years. The Spanish midfielder is the player in the squad who has played the most minutes this season (63) and the one who has played the most minutes on the pitch (5,265), ahead of Marc-André Ter Stegen, Frenkie de Jong and Jordi Alba, which is worrying because he is 34 years old and his years in the elite are getting closer to ending.
Xavi Hernández wants to find a replacement as quickly as possible in order to rest him in the short term and, in the future, to become the main organizer of the team. And the club is closely monitoring three players who can fit into the Spanish coach’s system of play. The role is clear and the names that are on Joan Laporta’s agenda are the following:
The 3 players that FC Barcelona follows to replace Busquets
-Ruben Neves: The Portuguese is Wolverhampton’s midfielder and has excelled in the role of team organizer with the ball. Despite having different characteristics from those of Busquets, he fits perfectly into Xavi’s plan.
-Maxime Lopez: The Frenchman has evolved as an organizing midfielder during his time at Sassuolo, being a fundamental piece in the growth of the club’s project. Everything seems to indicate that he is ready to make the leap to a more important team in Europe. He is 24 years old and could fit in the role of substitute for a few years to learn Spanish.
-Martin Zubimendi: The Spaniard is the profile that everyone in the club likes the most, but it is also the most difficult to incorporate due to its price and that Real Sociedad does not want to sell it. It is expected that it will sign its renewal shortly, so its price will increase substantially.