Xavi’s Barcelona lineup for next season if Lionel Messi returns – report

The noise around Lionel Messi and a possible return to FC Barcelona is growing with each passing day. The Argentine’s contract at PSG expires in a little over two months and Barça are working hard to make his comeback become a reality.

To that end, the Blaugrana are understood to have already submitted their economic viability plan to La Liga for approval, which Messi is reportedly aware of.

In the meantime, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has already started planning for the next season with Messi included in the team.

Now, Mundo Deportivo has come up with a report that shows how Xavi plans to fit Messi into his Barça team and the lineup that he wishes to utilise should the Argentine return in the summer.

It has previously been reported that Xavi plans to use Messi as the fourth midfielder in his current tactical setup that sees him deploy for central midfielders in a tweaked 4-3-3 formation.

Meanwhile, the rest of the midfield will likely see Pedri and Gavi start as regulars, with one of Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets (depending on whether he renews or not) acting as the pivot midfielder.

In the case of the 4-3-3, the report states that Gavi could be deployed as the false-winger on the left. Messi would slot in as the right-interior midfielder with license to move forward freely and use his wand of a left foot to create and score goals, while Gavi would drop into the middle to add more bodies.

There have also been suggestions that Xavi could turn to a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield where Messi would be at the tip of the formation, playing just behind the two forwards, who would likely be Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski, both undisputed starters in Xavi’s setup.

The report also suggests the possibility of a 4-2-3-1 formation with Pedri and one of de Jong or Busquets forming the double pivot. Messi would operate in the No. 10 role in that setup, flanked by Dembele and Gavi on either sides, with Lewandowski up top.

As for the defensive line, with the right-back position not seeming to be a top priority at the moment, Barcelona could end up continuing with Jules Kounde as the right-back.

Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen would be holding the fort in the heart of the defence, while Alejandro Balde will be in charge of providing the width on the left, starting as the left-back. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is in supreme form this term, is the undisputed starter in goal.

It has been suggested that Xavi has already spoken to the dressing room about the possible return of Messi and the entire team is understood to be on board with the plan. What now remains is for the club to receive the go-ahead from La Liga so that they can table a contract offer to the Argentine.