Earlier this month, Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed that the club will try to sign a new midfielder in January in light of Gavi’s season-ending ACL injury.

The Barça president insisted that the club would be looking to bring in a new ‘Edgar Davids’, in essence they are looking for someone powerful and physical to fill the void left by the bundle of energy that is Gavi, on a short-term deal.

Barcelona’s requirements for a new midfielder

However, a new report from Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona are not essentially looking for an interior midfielder as a direct replacement for Gavi.

Instead, the idea within the Blaugrana entity is to sign a player who is mainly a pivot that can occupy the position in front of the defence but at the same time is capable of operating as an interior midfielder. In other words, they are looking for a No. 6 who can play as a No. 8.

The idea is to cover the pivot position where the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Frenkie de Jong have been asked to fill in quite regularly so that they are freed up to play higher up the field.

Furthermore, Xavi has also lost some confidence in Oriol Romeu, who is the only natural pivot in the squad. That is why, what Barcelona are looking for is a player who can play as a pivot and also as an interior midfielder.

The La Liga champions want a midfielder who can provide the team with a good outlet with the ball, as well as the strength to be a stopper in front of the defence.