The futures of Miralem Pjanic and Nico Gonzalez at FC Barcelona now looks uncertain
If Bernardo Silva arrives and De Jong stays, neither will have a place in the squad due to the shortage of budget
The preparation of the FC Barcelona 2022/23 squad is well underway. But there are still several questions to answer, especially in midfield. From whether or not Frenkie de Jong will leave the club to whether Bernardo Silva will arrive, a lot remains to be settled.
If the Portuguese player ends up landing at Barça while Frenkie stays on as well, both Miralem Pjanic and Nico Gonzalez would not have a place. The Bosnian is having a good preseason, and Xavi is happy with him, believing he will be an asset. To continue, Pjanic too would have to accept a cut to his pay. His continuity will be a big boost if FC Barcelona do not end up signing Silva.
The case of Nico is somewhat similar. Xavi counts on him, and he has been quite prominent in the preseason. But with De Jong and possibly Bernardo as well, he would certainly not have a spot in the team. The Galician, given his age, needs to play continuously to keep growing, and if lacking the opportunity at Barça, he should do it on loan elsewhere. All this, of course, is subject to what happens with Frenkie and Bernardo Silva.
