20-year-old Barcelona gem wants to earn a starting role in the team next season – Report | OneFootball

Over at FC Barcelona, Hansi Flick seems to value meritocracy over everything else. For the German coach, his established rules and expectations must be adhered to at all times. Unfortunately, such strict measures can unfairly put certain Barcelona players at a disadvantageous position.

Still, the German coach has managed to get the best out of this Barcelona team. From silverware to their performances on the pitch, La Blaugrana look like a fully rejuvenated side under Flick’s leadership and many players have seen the benefits of his tactics and tweaks firsthand.

Barcelona players continue to impress

Pedri continues to impress at Barcelona with his magic. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Pedri, for instance, has finally overcome his injury woes and is excelling at an exceptional rate. Even other Barcelona players cannot help but appreciate and praise the youngster for the sensational quality that he is putting on display.

However, with stars like Pedri shining and positions being grabbed in the regular starting lineups, other players fail to get the opportunities they need to shine. Yet, while some may leave to find chances elsewhere, others continue to stay behind and fight for them.

Gavi wants a starting role

One such player who is undoubtedly a fighter is 20-year-old Spanish midfielder Gavi. According to AS, the Spaniard has been working and training since several weeks now in the hopes of rediscovering his best version and making choices difficult for Hansi Flick.

That is because Gavi wants to fight for a starting role at the club and he is not exactly content with just sitting back. While he would do whatever Flick and Barcelona need from him, he would ideally like to fight for a starting role and establish himself as a strong contender again.

As per the report, his exclusion from most projected starting elevens for next season is something that fuels his hunger. Despite the fact that many people are writing him off already, the 20-year-old former Golden Boy winner will not be that easy to push aside and wants to use the preseason tour as a way to make Hansi Flick rethink his options.

A journey of redemption and rediscovery

After spending around a year on the sidelines while recovering from an unfortunate ACL injury, Gavi finally returned last season and gradually got back into the rhythm he needed to make an impact. However, Hansi Flick was careful with his minutes and that ultimately paid off.

Once he got back into his rhythm, however, Gavi began to show glimpses of his best version again. Still, that season was still just a transitional one for him and the Barcelona midfielder is already aware that this campaign will test him to his limits.

Yet, with so many stats challenging for places in this Barcelona team, Gavi knows it will not be easy. Beating the likes of Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, and Marc Casado will take a lot of willpower and quality, but Gavi does not lack either. Moreover, a resurgence at club level would also mean a better chance to feature more prominently for Spain at the FIFA World Cup in 2026.