According to a report published by Diario AS, Xavi has made a decision on 99% of his squad, including the attack, which will feature Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, Robert Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raphinha, and Dembele.
He wants Memphis Depay and Ez Abde to leave the club, with the former probably leaving on a permanent transfer and the latter on loan.
The 1% of his remaining decision, however, rests on probably just one player: Miralem Pjanic.
The report suggests that Pjanic’s excellent attitude has may have given him a second shot at life in Barcelona. That, coupled with a couple of impressive performances against Juventus and New York Red Bull in pre-season, means he has a real chance of continuing.
Xavi could sit down with the Bosnian to explain the situation, before which he is likely to make his final decision.
As it stands, though, Pjanic will compete with Nico for that deputy defensive midfield role. His cameos this week in that role have impressed fans and the management alike.
Further, there was little to no actual interest in Pjanic from European teams, which puts a huge speed breaker in the way of any potential exit. He had, however, received offers from the Saudi Arabian league, and even the MLS.