Future of Barcelona duo up in the air following the exit of Xavi Hernandez – report

Barcelona are poised to bring in Hansi Flick as their next manager. The German tactician could be officiated as soon as Monday and his arrival could kickstart the club’s preparation for the season ahead.

Flick’s arrival is likely to impact the future of almost every Barcelona star, for better or worse. While there are some players who may benefit from his arrival, others may not.

As reported by Diario SPORT, Barcelona’s Portuguese duo – Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo – are two such players who may fall in the second bracket.

Flick’s take on Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo is regarded very highly at FC Barcelona due to his technical ability and versatility. The player is also keen on continuing at Camp Nou.

Barcelona, in fact, were very clear about their desire to extend the stay of Cancelo, knowing the player would have taken a salary cut.

If Xavi had stayed, Cancelo’s continuity at Barça was more than a certainty. But with Flick at the term, his future is up in the air once again.

Flick does not exactly trust Cancelo (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Flick is well aware of Barcelona’s shortcomings in the fullback department, as both Cancelo and Alejandro Balde have left wide-open spaces for the attackers to exploit. He wants to solve this problem and Cancelo is unlikely the answer.

Even if Barcelona convince Flick to retain the services of Cancelo, he is expected to demand a more versatile and defensive fullback, who can offer solidity at the back.

What about Joao Felix?

The case of Joao Felix is even more curious and unpredictable. The Portuguese international was not a trusted option for Xavi Hernandez.

Whether or not that will change under Hansi Flick remains to be seen. Barcelona, for their part, rate Felix highly and will try to secure another loan deal for the former SL Benfica starlet.

However, as things stand, Felix’s continuity will depend on the exit of both Ansu Fati and Vitor Roque, which is unlikely given that the latter could stand to benefit from Flick’s arrival in Catalonia.

Therefore, Felix is more likely to leave Barcelona this summer than stay for another year. His agent Jorge Mendes has already started looking for other options for the Portuguese international.