Sergio Busquets gave an interview to Mundo Deportivo where he highlighted the players he believes to be his ideal substitutes at Barcelona.
After 15 great seasons at Barça, Sergio Busquets will leave the club. He was part of the best Catalan side the world has ever seen. “Busi” played with some of the best players in the world and always competed at the highest level. Now, Barcelona has to face the difficult task of finding the new no. 5.
Earlier this week, Busquets gave an interview to Mundo Deportivo. During the chat, he mentioned the players he thinks are the best suited to fill in his shoes. The four names he highlighted are:
- Rodri Hernández (Manchester City)
- Martín Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
- Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern)
- Nico González (Barcelona – Valencia)
Additionally, he explained more in dept why he considers each one a good replacement.
Regarding Rodri and Zubimendi:
“I know that there is a lot of talk about players, such as Rodri, and Zubimendi. They are very good players and perhaps the ones that most match the Barça DNA and the style that is wanted here but they belong to other clubs.”
On Joshua Kimmich:
“He is a little different, he would come from German football. In the end, you don’t just have to look for the same DNA, but you have to look for players with other profiles that may be important for certain games.”
As for Nico González:
“We have Nico, who is on loan, and I think he is doing very well. Although it is true that he has lacked a bit of continuity but he is very talented. Nico has many qualities and we must give the opportunity to the people of La Masía, young people, and that financially saves you from paying a transfer fee. They are also players who understand the club and the style of play. We have homegrown players who are giving us a lot.”
Regarding if those are the only possible substitutes:
“I like all three of them a lot. Fortunately, I’ve also met them on the national team. I haven’t talked as much with Zubimendi but I have seen him with the Under-21s and we have faced each other in LaLiga and Copa del Rey. I think those three are the closest to Barça’s DNA, the ones that could contribute the most. Then if you want to sign another player with a much more physical profile, or a little more defensive, you can also do it.”
On De Jong and the possibility of him stepping into the no. 5 role:
“He can play in the position every now and then, but where he feels most comfortable and at ease is having someone by his side. He likes to dribble and push forward, without being so positional. In some sporadic matches, he can do it, but his qualities and his instinct are to dribble past players. De Jong has these conditions and in the end, you have to take advantage of it.”
