Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez sends message to youngsters Nico Gonzalez and Ez Abde | OneFootball

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Football Espana

·2 June 2023

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez sends message to youngsters Nico Gonzalez and Ez Abde

Article image:Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez sends message to youngsters Nico Gonzalez and Ez Abde

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has made it clear that he expects more from their young talents returning to the club from their loan spells. In La Liga, both Nico Gonzalez and Ez Abde have performed well on loan in spells at Valencia and Osasuna respectively, but they will face fierce competition back in Catalonia.

Nico chose to leave for Valencia on loan during the summer in order to get more game time, while Barcelona looked for a loan for Abde, who has been crucial for Los Rojillo this season.


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There has been some suggestion that Nico could fill in at times in the position Sergio Busquets is vacating this summer, but Xavi was clear he did not see him there, despite the fact it was the position Nico often occupied coming through at La Masia.

“But I see Nico as more offensive. He has a slightly more attacking mentality, more dividing, dribbling… To give you an idea, a bit like Frenkie de Jong this season.”

He was asked whether there was a chance he could stay in the first team next season.

“Yes, there are always options. We have many on loan, we have followed them. I think Nico has been good. The pity is that he has been injured for three months. But I think this season has been very good for him. Also for Abde, to give another example, who has done very well in Pamplona, ​​in Osasuna,” he told MD.

Xavi wanted to see more consistency from them though.

“I think they needed to take this step in their career to one day come back here. We said it, with Busquets’ farewell, here you have to reach 10. 6 and 7 are not not enough. And you have to come close to excellence in each game. That must be instilled in the mentality of footballers. Nico and Abde have improved and we will see in preseason where we are and where they are. We will assess them and then we will decide.”

Both Abde and Nico are developing, and it is no surprise that Xavi should continue raising the bar for them regardless of his thoughts on their progress.

However it does look as if they will be required to make strides forward in order to convince Xavi that they deserve opportunities, rather than perhaps being loaned or sold this summer.

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