“The intention of the club is to strengthen itself on the right side”
BARCELONA, 27 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The FC Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, was convinced that defender Jules Koundé “will be able to play” this Sunday against Valladolid on matchday three of LaLiga, the last duel prior to the closing of the transfer market that they will try to attend “with the intention” to be reinforced on the right side.
“We are convinced that Koundé will be registered and will be able to play to help us win the match. We are never going to adulterate the competition and less so in the situation we are in. It has been very difficult to register players and it is now”, explained Xavi in the press conference prior to the meeting.
In this sense, the Catalan coach stated that the registration of the brand-new ‘culé’ signing depends on the negotiations with LaLiga, “a matter of balancing numbers in ‘fair play'”. Even so, Barça does not consider the squad closed five days after the transfer market closes.
“There are different scenarios. I’m looking forward to the end of the market to find out what squad we have left. The pity for the coaches is that we are in the middle of the competition”, admitted Xavi, who acknowledged that “the club’s intention is to strengthen itself on the right side” .
A position in which Sergiño Dest does not enter the plans of Terrassa. “On the right we don’t have a player with a natural demarcation, except Dest, who already knows the club’s situation and my position. We have to adapt, for now Sergi Roberto, Araujo or Kounde are playing,” he added.
In the other lane, Xavi highlighted the emergence of Alejandro Balde. “The other day he was at a very high level. He is a footballer to keep in mind for the present and future for the club. He is playing with a lot of personality and it is not easy for his age,” he said about the projection of the youngster from 18 years.
“I SEE THE SIGNING OF BERNARDO SILVA DIFFICULT”
Asked about the departure of Aubameyang or Memphis Depay, the coach “doesn’t rule out any situation”, so “many things” could happen. However, the signing of Bernardo Silva seems to be moving away. “You never lose hope. It’s going to be complicated because we’re only a few days away. There have to be ways out on our part, honestly I see it as difficult,” he said.
In the case of Pablo Torre, Xavi welcomes his staying. “It is difficult to have minutes, but I think he can have them throughout the season. There was talk of his departure to Racing, but here he can learn more. He has to take it as a year of football education and adaptation,” he said about the midfielder, who could play for the reserve team because “he is the perfect age to do so without problems”.
Finally, the coach praised his counterpart at Valladolid, his rival for Sunday’s match at the Camp Nou. “He has surprised me as a coach. He is brave, offensive and has no complexes. He is a noble person and very methodical. He will set us a difficult game, like against Sevilla. We hope it will not be similar to Rayo’s and that it will be difficult for us to score goals” , he pointed.
Regarding the draw for the group stage of the Champions League, together with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, he described it as the “most difficult group in the last 20 years”, so they have a “very important” challenge. “There is a great illusion and the objective is to win all the competitions that we play”, he concluded.