Barcelona count on La Masia graduate despite strong competition in midfield

Despite providing fewer minutes than many of his compatriots, young midfielder Riqui Puig remains in the good graces of Xavi, who is said to have been impressed with the 22-year-old’s commitment.

According to Spanish news outlet SPORT, the 42-year-old has encouraged the young midfielder to not lose hope despite the strong competition he faces from the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Nico in the first team.

Hence, in order to elevate his status, his only focus is to keep working and give everything during each training session.

The 22-year-old has also attended the voluntary sessions that have left a positive mark on Xavi, who has assured Puig that regardless of the competition, he is counting on him.

The key for Puig is patience, but the volatility of the transfer market means all that can change in a week or even in a day, for that matter. Napoli, who were knocked out by Barcelona in the Europa League, are said to be showing an interest.

The publication further claims the Serie A club is not interested in a loan move, and since his contract expires in 2023, a fee somewhere around €10 million would be offered to Barça.

It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will, in fact, sanction a move. But if they do, it’s improbable that Puig will depart on a permanent transfer.

Instead, the Catalan boss would want Puig to get regular minutes while on loan and return with enough substance so that he could challenge the settled first-team members.

Since making his debut in 2019, the midfielder has seen as many as four managerial changes and his role has varied under each one of them. 

After bursting onto the scenes under Ernesto Valverde, Puig’s role grew when Quique Setien took over. All that, however, changed when Ronald Koeman arrived and the picture under Xavi is pretty much straightforward.

But now that he has been advised to wait, it will be interesting to see whether the midfielder will push for a move in the summer or not.