Barcelona legend turned manager Xavi Hernandez will be hoping to put his beloved club back to the top with a squad full of potential.
Ronald Koeman failed to lead Barcelona to championship last year and he also took the heat in the club's poor run this season. Fans have been clamoring it for quite some time now and finally, Barca has decided to appoint one of its all-time greats Xavi Hernandez as new head coach.
As expected, Barcelona is thrilled to have welcomed Xavi back at Camp Nou. But along with the hype comes the pressure. Looking at what Xavi has at the moment, Barca's squad, though without Lionel Messi, is still stacked with a wide array of talented players, especially in the attack.
However, the question is, who has the guts and ability to play the lead role now that Messi is out of the picture?
Memphis Depay
Prior to joining Barcelona this past summer, Memphis Depay was one of the most coveted attackers in the sport. HE left Lyon as a legend, having bagged a total of 76 goals across all competitions since 2017.
Indeed, Depay's resume presents a strong case for becoming Xavi's talisman but he has to make a huge impact this season. To date, the 27-year-old already has six goals to his name in 16 matches for Barcelona. Good but not yet great.
Ousmane Dembele
Article Continues BelowAside from being Barcelona's second most expensive signing, nothing extraordinary has seen from Ousmane Dembele. Injuries hindered his fine form and though he had his once in a while moments under Ronald Koeman, he still struggled with consistency. If healthy, Xavi could possibly utilize Dembele, especially on the wing.
Pedri
One thing Barcelona has at the moment is a number of notable youngsters and among them is 18-year-old Pedri. The Spanish soccer prodigy made a name for himself last season after having a successful stint playing as Messi's co-star.
Pedri also impressed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and is now one of the most sought-after rising stars in his country. It is a bit too early to conclude but with a player who is inspired by Andres Iniesta, there's no doubt Pedri and Xavi will see eye to eye.
Francisco Trincao
Before he even made his Barcelona debut, Francisco Trincao was already hyped. Due to his savvy ballhandling skills and ability to score goals, the 21-year-old earned comparisons to both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Trincao is currently on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers but reports say that Xavi is already requesting for his return. If reports are to be true, then Xavi must have viewed Trincao as an important player in his squad.