Hansi Flick identifies four untouchable players in Barcelona squad, informs the board

 Sources close to the club have informed Barça Universal that the new Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, has a clear vision for the club’s future. 

Flick believes that to remain competitive, Barcelona must avoid selling their key players to rival top clubs like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, or Bayern Munich, as he has seen firsthand, from his time at Bayern, how critical it is to retain top talent.

Flick has made his stance clear to the Barcelona board. He has identified four players as essential to the team’s success: Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Ronald Araujo, and Frenkie de Jong. 

Flick considers these players untouchable, meaning they should not be sold under any circumstances. Notably, he did not mention Gavi or Pau Cubarsi in this group.

Pedri to play a crucial role

Flick holds Pedri in particularly high regard, even suggesting that Pedri has more potential than Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala. 

Flick views Pedri as the most creative player in the squad and believes his talents are best utilised when he is positioned just behind the striker. This would allow Pedri to exploit his excellent passing ability and enhance his presence in the attacking third. 

Pedri is likely to play a crucial role under Hansi Flick. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Araujo is another player Flick deems crucial for Barcelona’s future. He has emphasised the importance of Araujo to his plans and has urged the club to resume contract renewal discussions with the Uruguayan defender. 

Araujo’s strong defensive capabilities and leadership qualities make him a cornerstone of Flick’s envisioned squad.

What about the rest?

De Jong’s situation is slightly more complicated. While he has not shown a strong desire to stay beyond his current contract, Flick’s personal meeting with the midfielder could change that. 

The club is keen to keep de Jong and has even offered him a new contract, hoping that Flick’s influence will persuade him to remain part of the team.

Lamine Yamal, a promising young forward, is also central to Barcelona’s future plans. The club sees him as a key player to build around and is committed to his development. Flick shares this view and sees great potential in the young talent.

While Flick did not specifically mention Gavi and Pau Cubarsi as untouchable, the club still values these players highly. 

It is understood that the new manager has yet to see much of Gavi and Cubarsi in action, but their potential to impress him is significant once they start training under his guidance.