Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has all but ruled out a move for a midfielder this summer, despite Oriol Romeu’s exit over the weekend. Flick has been using youngsters Marc Casado and Marc Bernal to anchor his midfield for much of the preseason tour.
The new Blaugrana coach has been consistent in challenging his side to press higher and more aggressively, and that was the chief criticism from their 2-2 draw with AC Milan again.
“When we all press with intensity, that is the way. Sometimes we have to be braver because it is necessary. After the break we improved, we changed. It was fantastic how we pressed, the whole team was intense. This is what we want. In the second half we had several chances and they had problems.”
Overall, he was rather happy with the impact of their preseason tour though, after clashes with Manchester City, Real Madrid and Milan.
“I want us to enjoy defending and also attacking together. There are 10 days left until the league premiere, we are heading in the right direction but we can improve a lot,” he remarked to Sport.
“The balance of the tour has been very positive. We had many young players, their quality is enormous. Some players have improved during these days. They are adapting to what we want to see.”
He was also asked about the midfield spot. Before the summer it was considered a priority option, but Flick appears to have decided this is not the case.
“We have several injured midfielders with great quality. When they return we will be a better team and I think I have enough players there.”
Since Sergio Busquets left the club, only Romeu has been brought in to replace him, and he was returned to Girona since. It was Barcelona‘s biggest problem last season, but clearly Flick believes he can coach around it, or perhaps that Casado or Bernal can make the step up. Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan and Sergi Roberto looked shaky all through last season when asked to be the deepest midfielder.