Lionel Messi Will Have A New Position And Role At FC Barcelona Under Xavi

Lionel Messi would have a new position and role in Xavi Hernandez’s four-man midfield system if he returns to the club this summer, it has been claimed.

The Argentine is out of contract on June 30 at Paris Saint Germain, and president Joan Laporta and his board are said to have been working on seeing him don Blaugrana again for more than the past 10 days.

Given the Catalans’ financial problems, they are also thinking up imaginative ways of paying Messi such as a low €200,000 ($216,000) yearly salary and then the proceeds of a farewell match and cut of merchandising tied to his name that could bring in anything from €100-200 million ($108-216 million).

Whatever they need to do to make the operation happen is not of any concern to Xavi, who will instead be charged with finding a way for his former teammate to fit into a first XI that has already struck the perfect balance and is on its way to a first La Liga title in four years through a 12-point lead over Real Madrid.

With Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski occupying those areas of the park respectively, there is no space for Messi on the right wing or as a false ‘9’ in a centre forward role where he previously operated at Camp Nou.

According to Mundo Deportivo, though, this won’t be an issue as Xavi would have other plans for Messi that entail him being one of the four midfielders in his successful system set up as a 4-3-3.

Messi could therefore take Gavi’s position as a false left winger who retreats to act as an ‘interior’ when Alejandro Balde or Jordi Alba charge up the wing from left back.

Or, alternatively, he could be placed as the interior right-sided midfielder that has support from double pivots Frenkie de Jong and, if he stays on past the expiry of his contract, captain Sergio Busquets.

Messi being the right-sided midfielder would complicate life for Pedri, who would probably not be axed and instead take someone else’s position to perhaps drop deeper alongside De Jong.

One thing is for sure, if Messi is either the false left winger or right-sided midfielder, someone among Gavi, Pedri, De Jong and Busquets is going to be left unhappy by reduced playing time.