Pjanic set for key test to decide Barcelona future
FT Desk
- Updated: 3 Aug 2022 13:46 BST
- 3 min read
Miralem Pjanic could have a future at Barcelona after all if he can prove his fitness to Xavi and his coaching staff.
Pjanic has had a torrid time since completing a €60 million transfer to Barcelona from Juventus in June 2020, making just six La Liga starts before being allowed to leave on loan for Besiktas last September.
A former Lyon, Roma and Juventus star, the Bosnian looked to have no future under Ronald Koeman at the wrong side of 30, and he didn't exactly set the heather alight in Turkey, failing to score in 20 league outings as Besiktas missed out on Europe with a sixth-place finish.
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But Xavi has since succeeded Koeman at Camp Nou, and with the player having already agreed to a 60 per cent pay cut, he believes the midfielder may be ready to help the club on the field as much as he has off it.
Spanish sports daily Mundo Deportivo report that Pjanic could be used as an alternative to Sergio Busquets at the base of Barca's midfield, should he be able to prove he has the engine to do so.
Is Pjanic fit enough to start?
"Xavi and his staff... have verified at first hand that the Bosnian has a high technical and tactical level," they write. "Now they want to observe him and analyse in detail if he can withstand the most physical parts of training before the start of La Liga next week."
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Barcelona start their La Liga campaign against Rayo Vallecano on 13 August, and Franck Kessie and Gavi are among the favourites to partner Busquets in Xavi's three-man midfield at kick-off.
Barca have struggled to offload fellow midfielder Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United this summer, and he could also get the nod, with the club no longer needing to sell him in order to register new arrivals like Kessie.
