First team action: Barcelona summer signing has already convinced Xavi

The signing of Pablo Torre from Racing Santander has brought about a lot of excitement among the Barcelona supporters.

The Catalans had struck an agreement with the lower league club over a transfer for the teenage attacking midfielder months ago, with the youngster completing the move when the transfer window officially opened.

Barcelona beat bitter rivals Real Madrid to the signing of the 19-year-old Spanish prospect. And considering his exploits for Racing Santander in the last season, they have gotten their hands on a diamond.

Indeed, Torre finished the 2021/22 campaign with a return of ten goals and 11 assists from 34 matches in all competitions, showcasing his immense potential and promise.

So, even though he was signed with the Barça Atletic team in mind, there was always going to be a chance that he could be fast-tracked into the first-team setup at Camp Nou.

And, as reported by Javi Miguel of Diario AS, that is exactly what will happen. The journalist claims that Torre has made a big impression in his first week of pre-season training, and has managed to convince manager Xavi Hernandez that he is deserving of a berth in the senior squad.

Xavi rates the 19-year-old highly and played a key role in convincing him to choose Barcelona over Real Madrid. And now, having gotten a closer look at the Spanish prospect in pre-season training, the 42-year-old tactician is ready to hand him a spot in the first-team squad for the upcoming campaign.

It would remain to see what role and how prominent of a part Torre would play in the Barcelona first-team roster, considering that there are already a plethora of midfield options at Xavi’s disposal.

Indeed, Pedri, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez, Franck Kessie, Sergio Busquets as well as Sergi Roberto and Alex Collado are available for the manager while Frenkie de Jong would also be an option, provided he does not leave.

Xavi is understood to be keen on having two quality players for each position in the playing XI. But including Torre and de Jong, it would make nine midfielders for three slots, which could lean towards overbooking.

So, it will be interesting to see how the manager juggles his options. But, as things stand, Pablo Torre has seemingly already managed to win over the manager and could be set for a breakthrough in the first-team setup when the season starts.