Barcelona boss Xavi has decided to replace Sergo Busquets from within the club to free up funds for priority positions
Barcelona boss Xavi has decided to develop Frenkie de Jong as a pivot and prepare him to take the mantle from Sergio Busquets, Spanish outlet Sport has reported.
Xavi seeking Busquets replacement
Busquets has been one of the first names on the Barcelona team sheet for nearly a decade-and-a-half. His ability to dictate the tempo from deep has been unrivaled for many years.
Unfortunately, for the Blaugrana, they will not be able to rely on Busquets for too long, as the 34-year-old is nearing the end of his career.
Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ruben Neves has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Busquets, but the La Liga giants have an in-house replacement in mind.
Frenkie de Jong ready for new role
According to Sport, Barca are keen to preserve their financial resources and wish to turn De Jong into Busquets successor. It has been claimed that Xavi will oversee the development of De Jong.
However, the club will give Busquets a one-year contract, extending his stay until June 2024. They feel that his presence would help De Jong with his transition into a more complete defensive midfielder.