Apart from the final decision on Dembélé, Xavi Hernández is going to get another ‘paper’ in the next few hours. And the technician He has to rule out one of the four signings in the winter market for the Europa League. And it is that in European competitions only a maximum of three registrations are allowed in January, so Barcelona, having incorporated four players, will be forced to discard one.
The list of reinforcements opened it Dani Alves, to continue with Ferran Torres, and in the last days they have joined Adama Traore Y Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. One of these four players will not be able to play in Europe for the remainder of the season.
In principle there is a player who is saved for sure: Ferran Torres. The international is the big bet of the winter market, with a total cost of 55 million paid to Manchester City, so he has a guaranteed place in the Europa League. It also seems very difficult for Dani Alves to be discarded, since the right wing has many shortcomings in the squad, and it doesn’t seem that either Sergiño Dest or Óscar Mingueza have just convinced Xavi.
So that, Everything indicates that the last place will be settled between the last two to arrive: Traoré and Aubameyang. Bearing in mind that the young winger Ez Abde will not be able to play in Europe, nor will Ferran Jutglà, as they are not registered on the B list at the start of the preseason, everything indicates that he could have more shortcomings in the band, so a priori Adama would be chosen, ahead of the Arsenal attacker. In addition, the excuse that Aubameyang lands with an 18-month contract gives him more room and time than Adama, who for now is only on loan until June 30, and needs more games and room to show his full potential.
And it is that in the position of 9, Xavi can have players like Memphis, Braithwaite, Ferran or Luuk de Jong, while in the band, if Dembélé finally does not play, either because he is given the freedom card or because he decides that he stays in the stands, he will not have any specialist in the band to play in Europe. Hence, today, all roads lead to the Gabonese attacker being discarded by Xavi.