Barcelona boss Xavi will be keeping a close eye on one Valencia star during La Liga clash | OneFootball

Barcelona head coach Xavi is expected to keep a keenly close eye on the exploits of one particular member of the midfield ranks at Valencia, in the upcoming meeting between the sides.

That’s according to Marca, as cited by Diario Sport, who point towards Pepelu as having long piqued the attentions of Barcelona’s boss.

A 25-year-old central midfielder, Pepelu made the move to Valencia last summer, from Levante.

And his first season in the colours of Los Che has proven a thoroughly impressive one, Pepelu having wasted little time in establishing himself as an integral figure in boss Rubén Baraja’s engine room ranks.

All told, the former Spanish youth international has taken to the pitch on 34 occasions this season, chipping in with six goals along the way.

And such endeavours, coupled with his ability to line out in either a deep-lying or orthodox midfield role, are understood to have caught the eye of the aforementioned Xavi.

As per the aforementioned Sport, Pepelu is ‘a player that Xavi Hernández loves and one he sees as a very interesting midfielder for the future’.

Barca’s headmaster is even said to have approached the Valencia man following the first meeting between the sides earlier this season, to congratulate him on his growth as a player.

Though any sort of Blaugrana swoop for his services this coming summer is deemed as ‘unfeasible’, Xavi will nevertheless be keeping a close eye on Pepelu this Monday night, when his side welcome Valencia to Montjuïc for a La Liga clash.

Conor Laird | GSFN