After an enchanting spell in Europe, Sergio Busquets bid Barcelona goodbye towards the end of last season. The veteran is set for a reunion with Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba at Inter Miami, but the Catalans are still far from filling the void he left.
The offices at Spotify Camp Nou are scampering to find a short-term replacement for the defensive midfielder. After their pursuits for Joshua Kimmich, Martin Zubimendi, and Marcelo Brozovic bore no fruit, they now eye Girona’s Oriol Romeu as their best bet.
According to reports from SPORT, Xavi Hernandez and Co. are simultaneously planning ahead for the medium term. Of the various option on their table, the name Pau Prim has generated the most consensus to take over the mantle in defensive midfield looking ahead.
At just 17 years of age, the La Masia star is far from making the full-time transition to the first team as the new pivot. However, he is the club’s closest bet to carry forward Busquets’ legacy, at least in terms of profile.
Over the years at La Masia, Prim has made himself known to be an able orchestrator of play from deep-lying areas. His natural ability to dictate the tempo of the game makes him the ideal choice to anchor the team while his strong technical ability on the ball tailors him for Barcelona’s possession style.
For the more immediate future, however, the manager hangs his hope on Oriol Romeu to do the job. Reports state that Deco is not convinced by the player’s quality, but Barcelona do not find themselves with the luxury of choosing.
Prim has been called up for pre-season training under Xavi Hernandez starting from tomorrow, and it remains to be seen if he makes the cut to travel to the USA. After all, the Catalans are not strangers to teenage stars taking control of midfield.
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