Andreas Christensen, the hidden pivot option?
We've known for a while that FC Barcelona's main objective in reinforcing the first team squad is to find the best possible replacement for Sergio Busquets. The club's sporting management is looking for a proven top-level pivot on the market whose signing would fit in with the club's delicate financial situation. The mission is by no means simple. The technical team, however, will focus all its efforts on meeting Xavi Hernández's request. The project needs a special defensive midfielder to climb the next rung of the ladder of competitiveness.
On the other hand, it is no secret that the problems with financial fair play will not give Deco and Mateu Alemany much room for maneuver, so Barça will not be able to have absolutely all the positions stacked with top players and that will force them to squeeze the squad (or look to the reserve team) when there are rotations, injuries or sanctions. In the case of the pivot, Xavi has several 'wild cards': Sergi Roberto, Eric Garcia, Franck Kessié and Frenkie de Jong already had to occupy this position last season and Ilkay Gündogan, announced on Monday, also has considerable experience (86 games) as a base midfielder.
Marc Casadó (19 years old) and Pau Prim (17 years old) could be home-grown resources in emergency situations, but we are talking about a very specific and important role in Barça's scheme and Xavi will not experiment with the youngsters. They will only play if the coach sees them ready to offer immediate performance. The pre-season, which starts on July 10, could be a very good opportunity for the youngsters. And if not, just ask Alejandro Balde, who came to the first team before the 2022/23 season and consolidated his place in the starting line-up in record time, relegating to the bench a legend of the size of Jordi Alba, until then undisputed as a starter.
There is another member of the Barcelona roster who is also capable of playing as a pivot. He is Andreas Christensen, a name that Xavi himself put on the table a few weeks ago. "He is one of the best signings of this season and of the last few years. He is an extraordinary defender. And the way we play, the way he filters balls, divides and understands the free man, he could be a midfielder playing at the back," said the coach in a press conference. Although he has not yet done so at Barça, at some points in his career the Dane has already played as a defensive midfielder.
The first time he did so was with Denmark's Under-21 side, both in friendly matches and in qualifiers for Euro 2015. In the same edition of the continental competition, he was also deployed at pivot on one occasion. His performances were convincing and Chelsea tried him out there in the following season in two UEFA Youth League play-offs. In senior tournaments, however, Christensen's record outside his natural position is six appearances, three for Borussia Mönchengladbach, one at Stamford Bridge and the last two at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, against France and Croatia.
We are not talking about a player who is used to playing as a positional midfielder, but he does know the role. And Xavi, from what he has seen in his first year, has publicly stated that it is an option he is considering. The unofficial arrival of Iñigo Martínez and Jules Koundé's request to play at centre-back could see Andreas move up a position. The summer will be a long one. We will see which profile arrives for the starting role and if, of all his possible replacements, Christensen is the priority alternative.
