Dani Olmo is injured and out till the end of April, which leaves the attacking midfielder position open. Hansi Flick has a decision to make on who should be starting in that position. Fermin Lopez and Gavi are the two main candidates, although Pablo Torre has a good chance too.
The Jack of all trades, Gavi
Pablo Gavi has always gone under the radar since he won the Golden Boy award. Gavi is not one of the best in any position in the midfield. However, that’s what makes him so special. Gavi can do a bit of everything and do it with quality. One might say his natural position is as a number 6, but it’s hard to say as he is equally good as a number 10.
Gavi can circulate the ball in the middle of the park like a 6, go forward and play as a number 10 or a left winger, and come back and make tackles to recover the ball. There’s a reason why Xavi played the youngster as a winger against Madrid in the Super Copa Final and Flick as a number 10. Both of these tests were passed with flying colors by Gavi.
The Rackitic regen Fermin Lopez
Fermin Lopez, in my opinion, remains a very underrated player in this squad. His performances against Bayern, Valencia, and recently Dortmund show how big of an attacking threat he is. His intensity to always move the ball forward and go for the goal matches perfectly with Flick’s style. This wonder kid scored 11 goals last season, which was also his debut season. When looking for a goal, Fermin Lopez in my opinion, is the best pick. Fermin’s ball progression is equally world-class. In fact, no midfielder in the top 7 leagues of Europe has completed more through passes per 90 than Fermin Lopez (1.04).
Gavi is not a bad option, however, I think through this phase of the season, Barca need to get on the score sheet as early as possible in the match, and Fermin Lopez is the perfect player for that. Gavi can come in after a comfortable lead has been established to circulate the ball, retain possession, and shut down counterattacks.