Barcelona top scorer not a guaranteed starter under Xavi’s management

Since the dawn of the season, Barcelona have been in a perpetual crisis regarding their forward line. Be it injuries or poor quality, the Catalans have had little resources to tackle the situation.

Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann’s departures within a month saw Barcelona understaffed in both quality and quantity, and while the fans were looking for a new line of hope, Memphis Depay stepped in.

The Dutch striker made his move to Barcelona in the summer on a free transfer from Olympique Lyonnais. The forward entered preseason emphatically scoring in back-to-back games before he also assisted the club’s first league goal of the season.

It was Ronald Koeman’s presence on the sidelines that served as a big motivation for Depay, for the duo had seen success together at the Dutch National team before.

However, the scene ahead is not rosy for Memphis, according to SPORT. The arrival of Xavi has sent him down the pecking order.

The former Lyon captain will start the next few games, because he currently is one of the only available options in the attack. However, he may not continue to be an undisputed starter under Xavi Hernandez, who will give everyone a chance from scratch.

The Spaniard is looking for true wingers to take on duties on the flanks. That said, profiles like Ansu Fati’s or Ousmane Dembele get more importance in the new setup.

Nevertheless, the new signing will have a few chances until the return of injured players. That said, he will have a chance to prove his worth and reverse his situation.