Pedri, the only untouchable in Barça's midfield? Gavi claims prominence

Pablo Páez Gavira, Gavi, had an excellent presentation in the preseason matches in Asia and has created a nice problem for Hansi Flick. His good level may compromise the starting position of Frenkie de Jong and also relegate Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal to a possible residual role in the 25/26.

Due to his characteristics, Gavi is not a scoring player, but in the matches in South Korea against FC Seoul and FC Daegu he demonstrated the opposite. With 3 goals and 2 assists, he was the team's top scorer on the tour; in this way, he celebrated his birthday in advance, this August 5th he will turn 21 years old.

It should be noted that the last two seasons were not the best for Gavi, as he was out for almost eleven months due to an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee suffered in November 2023 with the National Team.

Being physically fit, Gavi is a multifunctional player, so he can play as an attacking midfielder, right inside midfielder and false '9', as well as a defensive midfielder/pivot. In each position he has responded in the best way to the German coach.

Hansi Flick must reassemble the 'puzzle' in Barça's midfield

When Hansi Flick looks at his squad, he finds a group of very young players, especially in the center of the field. Only Frenkie de Jong and Dani Olmo are over 25 years old.

De Jong was present in 46 games last season and scored 2 goals. He hopes to reach his best version, that of 20/21, where he participated in 50 games and scored 7 goals. On the other hand, Olmo had a good first season scoring 12 goals in 39 appearances. After 10 years, he returned to the team that trained him.

Likewise, it is necessary to highlight the youth of Marc Casadó, Marc Bernal and Fermín López, who are the present and future of the blaugrana club. Casadó can alternate with Bernal, since they have very similar characteristics, although the one from Berga is younger (18) and is just looking to overcome a very serious knee injury.

In principle, Frenkie starts the 25/26 as a starter alongside Pedri, but Gavi can easily take the Dutchman's place if he maintains the level shown in the preseason. The Andalusian has more punch, which can contribute a lot to the super offensive scheme that the coach prioritizes.

Gavi: the ideal partner for Pedri?

For now, Pedri is the only untouchable in the engine room, as he can play as a midfielder or as an inside midfielder and his specialty is managing the ball like few others. The player from Tenerife sets the pace at which Barça plays. Without him on the field, the team loses order, criteria and mobility.

Together with Gavi, the '8' has formed a very effective duo in Barça and the National Team. Similarly, Casadó and De Jong did their job taking care of the Canary Islander's back in the 24/25 season, as defensive pivots.

Fermín López is another footballer who should be considered in the midfield area, he had a spectacular 2024 when he won the European Championship and the Olympic gold. However, due to his offensive vocation, he is considered more as an attacking midfielder/winger, two positions that he alternated in the 24/25 season with Dani Olmo and Raphinha.

The player from Huelva, in the same way, will have to compete with Gavi, the 'all-rounder' of Barça who, being physically fit, can occupy multiple roles from midfield forward, almost always completing matches with honors. Will 25/26 be his consecration season? Everything will depend on whether his physique responds to his usual delivery. Few run and fight for every ball like him.