Xavi counts on 22-year-old Barcelona ace for next season, a new role on the cards

As speculations continue to mount on which players Barcelona plan to sell and retain in the summer, a fresh report from Ferran Martinez of Mundo Deportivo has come up with an update on the future of Eric Garcia.

The 22-year-old defender has seen game-time come at a premium this season, with the likes of Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, and even Marcos Alonso being used ahead of him in the centre-back positions.

As such, Garcia has started just 13 La Liga matches in the 2022/23 campaign, which gave way to speculations that the Spaniard could be among those who could be sold in order to generate revenue this summer.

But, as per the update from Ferran Martinez, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez completely counts on Garcia for next season and wants the former Manchester City ace to stay put at the club beyond the summer.

Furthermore, the report states that Barça are ‘delighted’ with the Spanish international and have no intentions of selling him or using him as makeweight in any other operation.

With Barcelona set to sign Inigo Martinez on a free transfer this summer, Garcia’s chances of playing as a centre-back are likely to reduce further in the next season.

As such, manager Xavi has plans to deploy the 22-year-old ace as a pivot midfielder in the upcoming campaign.

The Barcelona head coach has already tried Garcia as a No. 6 in the ongoing campaign, in the match against Elche, with the Spaniard making a positive impression in the role.

And Xavi is planning to experiment with the ex-Man City ace in the pivot position in the remaining matches this season so that he can grow into a reliable option for the next term when Sergio Busquets will no longer be at the club.

Even though Barcelona are prioritising the signing of a new pivot midfielder, they will need reliable backups and Xavi sees Garcia and Sergi Roberto as options. So, the 22-year-old Spaniard will likely remain at the club this summer.