Frank Kessie is one of Barcelona’s marquee signings this season. The 25-year-old joined from Milan as a free agent in the summer. He was one of the players Xavi was most keen on working with. Kessie had a brilliant spell in Milan. He was coming as a Serie A winner with the Rossoneri but had no success in Europe. Eyebrows were raised as to how he would fit in the tiki-taka style of play under Xavi. But those were shut down pretty fast when Kessie came on the field. He is a physical specimen and gives something different to Barcelona that they have not had in years.
Kessie is the sort of midfielder that Xavi will be keen on utilizing in tight compact games. His physicality will be a big use as he is vital in tackles and ball interceptions. Mainly operating as a box-to-box midfielder, he can also be deployed as a single pivot or a double pivot. Frank is too good of a player to be on the bench and will give tough competition to the likes of De Jong, and Gavi. He recently scored his first goal for Barcelona in the victory against Viktoria Plzen. It once again showed his supreme presence on the pitch and why he is a difficult player to play against.
Settling in a new country with a new culture is never easy. Shifting from Milan to Barcelona was a big change for Kessie. But despite that, he has fit in like a glove in Barcelona. He does not speak much Spanish but that has not stopped him from settling in well. Reports say that People love him and like that he is a straightforward and affable person. Even on the bench, he always feels motivated and important to the squad. In a short amount of time, he is someone people like very highly. Xavi has admitted that Kessie is very important to him and is a true professional.
What is the ideal midfield for Barcelona?
At this point of time, Xavi has a headache about what players to choose. He has admitted that this is a good situation to have but it is important to manage minutes. There will be games where Kessie will be more vital than the likes of De Jong or Pedri and vice versa. With such a long season ahead and the WC also approaching, Xavi will be wary of players’ fitness and not overdo it.
As of this moment, a trio of Busquets-Pedri-De Jong is the best one for Barcelona. This trio provides a perfect balance of control, creativity, and intelligence in the midfield. Gavi and Kessie are the more intense players brought in certain games. Big decisions await Xavi and he must know how to rotate the squad. This is just the beginning and they have games against European Giants in the coming months.
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