Xavi wants on-loan Barcelona winger to participate in pre-season with the club

With the 2021/22 season almost over, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is planning ahead for the upcoming campaign, as he looks to take the team back to the top.

The summer window will be crucial to how the next season pans out for Barça as some key areas of the roster need to be strengthened.

At the same time, there could also be opportunities for some of the players who did not find favour under former manager Ronald Koeman. One such star, who is likely to be given a shot to prove himself in pre-season is Francisco Trincao.

Indeed, as reported by Portera Nunez, Xavi has informed Barcelona director Mateu Alemany that he wants Trincao to be a part of the pre-season if there are no extraordinary offers arriving for the 22-year-old, who is away on loan at Wolves.

Signed from SC Braga in 2020, the winger did not have the most memorable debut season in Catalonia. Often utilised as a substitute or played out of position, the Portuguese international never really got going under Koeman.

Trincao, as a result, was loaned out by Barça last summer, with the winger completing a move to Premier League club Wolves. He has not exactly set the stage on fire in England, but there have been glimpses of potential on display.

So far, Trincao has made 28 appearances for Wolves across all competitions, scoring three goals and registering a solitary assist. While those are not impressive numbers, it seems like Xavi is ready to give the young forward a shot in the pre-season.

Barcelona are still unsure over Ousmane Dembele’s future as contract negotiations drag on. And with Adama Traore unlikely to be signed permanently, there will be a space for a right-winger in the squad, which Trincao can fill.

It will be interesting to see if the 22-year-old finds a place in Xavi’s plans for the next season or is moved on permanently in order for the club to generate some funds.