Frenkie de Jong: A very expensive starter

In case he stays, Frenkie de Jong would face much more stiff competition. So far, since his arrival in the summer of 2019, he has played almost by decree. His talent did warrant the place but the lack of depth in the position also helped. It was the case under Valverde, Quique Setién and Koeman. No one has ever disputed his leading role, even after Xavi's arrival. 42 games and 3,225 minutes in the first season, 51 games and 4,492 minutes in the second and 45 games and 3,378 minutes in the third.

With the squad that Xavi is putting together, the starting line-up is currently very, very expensive all across the pitch. In the centre of the field, he should compete with Pedri, Gavi (it is the opinion of many that they should be the starting midfielders), Kessié and Nico González. A new challenge for the Dutchman. If he were to stay at Barça, he would have plenty of competition. He is a top-notch player with a lot of quality reading of the game. There are a lot of things he can improve though. Being more consistent, stepping forward and carrying the whole team on his back. He should offer an attacking threat by making more forward runs.

In any case, it is always a good thing to have more competition. In the face of any hint of lethargy, the presence of so many players in his position would heat things a bit. If Frenkie stays (for that, he would still have to take a significant pay cut), everything will be very different. The demands will go up several notches.