Xavi’s tactical plans to incorporate Messi if he returns to Barcelona – report

As the rumours about Lionel Messi’s potential return to FC Barcelona continue to gain weight with each passing day, SPORT is reporting that manager Xavi Hernandez already has a tactical blueprint in his mind to incorporate his former teammate.

Messi’s contract with PSG expires at the end of the season and Barcelona wish to bring him back to the club in the summer. The player himself is understood to be keen on a move back to Spotify Camp Nou and has allegedly told Xavi the same during their conversations.

There have been questions as to how Xavi could fit Messi into this new-look Barcelona side should the Argentina captain make an emotional return before next season.

And, as per SPORT, the Barcelona manager already has a tactical plan in his mind. The idea, if Messi returns, would be to switch formations to a 4-4-2 Diamond.

In that setup, Messi would be deployed at the tip of the diamond, while Frenkie de Jong would operate as the single pivot. Meanwhile, Pedri and Gavi would be the two interior midfielders.

Xavi started the new season in a traditional 4-3-3 formation with the importance being on wing-play. However, over the course of the campaign, the manager resorted to deploying four central midfielders, with one of them lining up as a false-winger.

Should Messi return, the idea would be similar, with a focus on playing through the middle rather than on the wings. Ousmane Dembele, who would be deployed along with Robert Lewandowski up top, would be in charge of providing the width along with Alejandro Balde.

Xavi believes that deploying the 35-year-old at the tip of the diamond would address multiple problems for the team – the lack of goals, the issue with the final pass, and the hurriedness shown in the circulation of the ball. On top of that, it could help get the best out of players like Ansu Fati and Pedri with whom Messi showed good connection before his exit.

But, there would be some concerns as well, starting with how he and Lewandowski could link up. While the Pole recently stated that he hopes to play with Messi, whether they can be compatible on the field remains a question.

Another concern would be whether Messi would be able to put in the hard yards off the ball at this stage in his career and if not, how the team compensates for it.

So, while the entire puzzle is not solved yet, Xavi has a framework within which he can fine-tune things and build a team that can make the best use of Messi in his final years, provided he returns.