{"id":1243496,"date":"2022-01-25T16:30:54","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T16:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1243496"},"modified":"2022-01-30T13:57:18","modified_gmt":"2022-01-30T13:57:18","slug":"next-xavi-players-compared-barcelona-legend","status":"publish","type":"cult-corner","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/cult-corner\/next-xavi-players-compared-barcelona-legend\/","title":{"rendered":"What happened next? A look at the careers of players once compared to Xavi"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src='\/\/asset.fwcdn2.com\/js\/storyblock.js'><\/script><br \/>\n<fw-storyblock channel=\"squawka\" playlist=\"5L00K5\" mode=\"pinned\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"><\/fw-storyblock><\/p>\n<p><strong>Barcelona legend Xavi is one of the best midfielders in the history of the game. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As a result, over the years, scouts, coaches and pundits have frequently attached the &#8216;next Xavi&#8217; label to a number of up-and-coming midfielders. And there is no greater desire to unearth the &#8216;next Xavi&#8217;, or temptation to see Xavi-esque qualities in youth players than at Camp Nou, the hallowed ground at which the midfield maestro spent his entire 25-year European playing (including youth) career, and worked his magic for more than a decade and a half for first team.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this is hardly a Bar\u00e7a-restricted issue, with clubs and academies the world over also involved in this unending, as-yet-fruitless search for the heir to Xavi\u2019s throne. Like his predecessor in the Bar\u00e7a midfield before him, Pep Guardiola, Xavi is the man in charge at Camp Nou, himself hoping that the &#8216;next Xavi&#8217; is\u00a0<em>somewhere<\/em> to be found. And it&#8217;s easy to understand why.<\/p>\n<p>Xavi\u2019s calm, cool, controlled, technically perfect style \u2013 his unassuming majesty, if we may \u2013 was the very crux of the most spectacular period in the history not only of Barcelona, but club football in general.<\/p>\n<p>Needless to say, it\u2019s been a long and arduous quest, with far more pretenders than contenders than contenders for the throne. Here, we have a look at a number of players from recent years who\u2019ve earned comparisons to Xavi. Some have fallen woefully short of expectations, while others have had spectacular careers in their own rights. However, as yet, none have fully justified the comparison.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>David Silva<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243643\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001123\/1243496_1243496_PA-63305170-min-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>David Silva is one of the Premier League\u2019s best ever foreign imports. His gift for reading and controlling the game led none other than Guardiola himself \u2013 Silva\u2019s manager with Manchester City from 2016 until Silva\u2019s departure from the club in 2020 \u2013 to note the similarities between Silva and not only Xavi, but also Andr\u00e9s Iniesta.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Xavi was a player with outstanding control and dynamic, he couldn\u2019t lose the ball,&#8221; Guardiola <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/soccer\/brazil\/story\/3500629\/brazil-lucky-to-have-gabriel-jesus-roberto-firmino-selection-dilemma-pep-guardiola\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said\u00a0in\u00a0May 2018<\/a>. &#8220;He could control the game rhythm, reading perfectly when to accelerate\u2026 Andr\u00e9s [Iniesta] is similar, but always changing the pace. And David Silva is a mixture between both of them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As Guardiola notes, Silva is more a mix of Xavi and Iniesta than a direct analogue to Xavi. Positionally, where Xavi tended to sit deeper in midfield, Silva plays higher up the pitch and has a more direct impact in the final third. That being said, he does share Xavi&#8217;s unerring composure and control of the ball.<\/p>\n<p>Although not a perfect comparison for Xavi, Silva, one of the most consistent and technically gifted midfielders of his generation, built a career worthy of one recognition as one of the greats in the history of the game, with a World Cup winner&#8217;s medal, two European Championships and three Premier League titles among numerous other honours.<\/p>\n\n<h2><strong>Harry Winks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In September 2018, a series of impressive displays by a 22-year-old Harry Winks for both Tottenham and England led to then-Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino mentioning the midfielder in the same breath as Xavi.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When we talk about midfielders, you like to use Spanish midfielders like Xavi and Iniesta,&#8221; he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-6167945\/Pochettino-Harry-Winks-Englands-answer-Xavi-Andres-Iniesta.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s like this type of player, this capacity, but please he needs to take in a very positive way my words. He needs a lot of work.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Winks is adept, sometimes excellent, at receiving the ball and adding urgency and purpose to Tottenham&#8217;s play in the middle of the park. Like Xavi, he isn&#8217;t known for providing a goal threat \u2013 Winks has scored just five times in 190 appearances for his club \u2013though he\u2019s got no aversion to moving up the pitch into more advanced positions.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, injuries have limited his time on the pitch for almost the entirety of his career. While Winks remains a quality player for Spurs when healthy, we can pretty safely assume now-25-year-old is not Xavi\u2019s heir apparent.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Toni Kroos<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243642\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001047\/1243496_1243496_PA-38095874-min-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>An vital piece of Real Madrid&#8217;s Champions League dominance in the last decade, Toni Kroos is one of the few players who\u2019s drawn a comparison to Xavi\u2026 from Xavi himself.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Kroos is the engine of Real Madrid\u2019s game,&#8221; Xavi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marca.com\/en\/football\/barcelona\/2017\/05\/24\/5925580bca47414b798b458f.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted<\/a> after\u00a0Madrid secured the 2016\/17 La Liga title. &#8220;The way he plays reminds me a lot about myself \u2013 you could say that he is my successor in this position.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A Real Madrid player being recognised in this way by a Barcelona legend shouldn&#8217;t be taken lightly.<\/p>\n<p>Each prefers\/preferred to operate in a similar, deeper area on the pitch, and each man\u2019s brilliance is sometimes a bit lost amid appreciation for higher-profile teammates \u2013 for Xavi, it was Iniesta and Lionel Messi. In the case of fellow World Cup winner Kroos, it\u2019s been Cristiano Ronaldo and 2018 Ballon d&#8217;Or winner Luka Modric. In terms of style and impact, Kroos is probably the closest player to Xavi on this list.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Arthur<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243809\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112658\/1243496_1243496_PA-64460726-min-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>An unfortunate near-miss. Arthur drew comparisons to Xavi while he was still playing in Brazil, at Gr\u00eamio. So when Bar\u00e7a laid out \u20ac31 million to bring him to Camp Nou in 2018, it was assumed that he\u2019s slot seamlessly into Xavi\u2019s recently vacated spot and extend Barcelona\u2019s period of dominance. Initially, that\u2019s exactly how it went.<\/p>\n<p>Few big signings have ever settled in at Barcelona as quickly as Arthur. In terms of temperament, tactics and the squad around him, Arthur seemed an ideal fit. In fact, so seamless was his transition into the Bar\u00e7a squad, that Arthur\u2019s name was invoked alongside Xavi\u2019s by a teammate who is more than qualified to speak on the matter: Messi.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Arthur has surprised me, as I didn&#8217;t really know him,&#8221; he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sport.es\/en\/news\/barca\/lionel-messi-arthur-reminds-me-of-xavi-hernandez-7016347\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said in 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He is very similar to Xavi, as he likes to have the ball, play short, not lose it and is very solid. He surprised me. Arthur has the style we have here. He understood quickly in training.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>After a stunning performance against Tottenham in the Champions League in October 2018, the world&#8217;s media and millions upon millions of fans joined Messi in making the comparison. That he played for Barcelona, of course, only intensified those comparisons.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the hype was woefully short-lived. By the following season, due to injuries and a reported lack of commitment to training and conditioning, Arthur was a fringe member of the squad and, in June 2020, was sent to Juventus in swap deal that saw Miralem Pjani\u0107 join Barcelona.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/livescore-bet?q=uk-all-con-bag-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1242395 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-1024x589.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-110x63.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-122x70.jpg 122w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-66x38.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-80x46.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-180x104.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-380x219.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-1043x600.jpg 1043w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-240x138.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-1100x633.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-85x49.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-35x20.jpg 35w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/15142236\/_LiveScore-Bet-330x190.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to Bet \u00a310, Get \u00a320 with Live Score:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Join LiveScore Bet (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/livescore-bet?q=uk-all-con-bag-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here&#8217;s the link<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Deposit and place a \u00a310 bet<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Get two free bets*<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>*New members. \u00a310 min deposit &amp; bet on sportsbook, placed &amp; settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. 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Bet Responsibly. <a href=\"http:\/\/GambleAware.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>GambleAware.org<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Davy Klaassen<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Two years before his passing in 2016, Netherlands legend, football innovator and Barcelona godfather Johan Cruyff heaped praise on Davy Klaassen, who was then a young player coming through at Ajax.<\/p>\n<p>He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vi.nl\/nieuws\/cruijff-xavi-kroos-en-klaassen-kunnen-dat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>: &#8220;You must have strong positioning, ability to control the ball at speed and also have the technique to deal with the speed of it [in midfield]\u2026 Xavi, Toni Kroos and Davy Klaassen can do it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;All three have perfect anticipation and they can play it both left and right excellently\u2026 You watch, when Klaassen plays from that position for Ajax, the tempo increases immediately. Moreover, he rarely loses possession.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Klaassen left Ajax for Everton in 2017, for a fee of more than \u00a323 million. Unfortunately, his style at the time, certainly, was completely unsuited to English football. In a lone season with Everton, he appeared in just seven Premier League games and 16 across all competitions, directly contributing to zero goals.<\/p>\n<p>In July 2018, Klaassen was moved on, joining Werder Bremen for a reported \u00a312 million fee. He regained his form in the Bundesliga, with 16 goals and 10 assists in all competitions over two seasons, before returning to Ajax, where he\u2019s scored 19 and assisted on another five since the start of the 2020\/21 season.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, while his journey has played out nothing like Xavi\u2019s storybook tale, Klaassen has managed to carve out a solid career for himself.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Frenkie de Jong<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243641\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001008\/1243496_1243496_PA-63939857-min-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The latest jewel in the Ajax-to-Barcelona pipeline. Like Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Ronald Koeman and Edgar Davids, Frenkie de Jong is seen as Barcelona\u2019s long-term solution in the midfield and, of course, the Blaugrana\u2019s \u2018new Xavi\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>It actually didn\u2019t take long for the comparisons to arise, with former Ajax manager and Barcelona coach Henk ten Cate comparing the two on the heels of the announcement of the \u00a365 million deal that delivered De Jong\u2019s from Ajax to Barcelona ahead of the 2019\/20 season.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It cannot be compared, De Jong can be a mixture of Deco and Xavi, but he is De Jong,&#8221; he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mundodeportivo.com\/futbol\/fc-barcelona\/20181118\/452988143559\/barca-entrevista-ten-cate-de-jong-de-ligt-ajax.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is always difficult to compare players. Both Xavi and Deco were from another planet, De Jong has the talent, but he must still prove it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, as noted by Ten Cate, comparisons aren&#8217;t always helpful.<\/p>\n<p>De Jong showed Xavi-like attributes at Ajax, and has certainly had his moments with Barcelona, but is still adapting his style to the Bar\u00e7a squad around him. However, under the guidance of the man himself, De Jong is a decent bet to come good \u2013 if not <em>quite<\/em> as GOOD as Xavi.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243811\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112829\/1243496_1243496_PA-62590118-min-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Carles Ale\u00f1\u00e1<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If it hasn&#8217;t been already, the feverish heights to which the hype surrounding Carles Ale\u00f1\u00e1 rose in December 2018, will soon be forgotten. It\u2019s worth noting, however, that for a brief moment, there was a feeling bordering on certainty among the Camp Nou faithful, that the \u2018next Xavi\u2019 had not only been identified, but was already at the club.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, Ale\u00f1\u00e1, who\u2019d been nominated for the Golden Boy award just months earlier, was less than month shy of his 21st birthday. Every bit as important, is that he was a Bar\u00e7a lifer, having joined La Masia at the age of seven, playing 89 games over four seasons with Bar\u00e7a B, and having debuted (and scored) for the senior side as a teenager.<\/p>\n<p>In that final month of 2018, however, the whirlwind descended on young Ale\u00f1\u00e1. On December 2, he came on as a substitute with 20 minutes remaining in a league game against Villarreal. Seventeen minutes later, he ran onto a characteristically perfect pass from Messi and beautifully dinked his finish over the &#8216;keeper \u2013 sealing a 2-0 win and securing both his first-ever La Liga goal and his first goal at Camp Nou. A mere two days later, it was announced that he\u2019d been officially promoted to the first team.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, injuries and a period of near-constant upheaval at the club stalled his development. In December 2019, barely a year after Bar\u00e7a fans were planning his coronation, Ale\u00f1\u00e1 was loaned out for the remainder of the season to Real Betis. A year later it was the same story, though this time the loan move was to Getafe. Finally, in the summer of 2021, Getafe reached an agreement with Barcelona to permanently sign Ale\u00f1\u00e1. The terms of the deal reserve a buyback option for Bar\u00e7a, but it&#8217;s unlikely that it will be used to bring the \u2018next Xavi\u2019 back to Camp Nou.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=uk-all-all-all-s\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1243323\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1042\" height=\"637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad.jpg 1042w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-1024x626.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-768x469.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-110x67.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-115x70.jpg 115w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-66x40.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-80x49.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-180x110.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-380x232.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-981x600.jpg 981w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-240x147.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-85x52.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-33x20.jpg 33w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21140720\/1243322_Sky-Bet-ad-330x202.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1042px) 100vw, 1042px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Interested in Sky Bet&#8217;s &#8216;Bet \u00a35, get \u00a320 in free bets&#8217; offer? Your next step is to follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=uk-all-all-all-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this link<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>New customers only. First single &amp; e\/w bet only. Odds of 1\/1 or greater. 2 x \u00a310 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. No free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions. Further t&amp;cs apply. 18+. <a href=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gambleaware.org<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Marco Verratti<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243644\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/24001401\/1243496_1243496_PA-41117965-min-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>In years past, Marco Verratti was frequently linked with a move to Barcelona as a successor to Xavi. The recent arrivals of De Jong and Pedri, and the emergences of Nico and Gavi, suggest that such a move may no longer be in the cards. However, that\u2019s not to say that Verratti wouldn\u2019t have fit in at Camp Nou.<\/p>\n<p>In the words of ex-Barcelona midfielder Demetrio Albertini in 2015: &#8220;Verratti reminds me of Xavi, and I&#8217;ve told him that more than once. He plays like a Barcelona player would, by making short passes. He is different from Pirlo but he is still great.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Verratti is part of the furniture at PSG, having made 363 appearances for the club, winning seven Ligue 1 titles, six French Cups and French League Cups, and \u2013 with a tactical role and an influence on the team similar to Xavi&#8217;s on Barcelona \u2013 helped lead the club to the 2020 Champions League Final.<\/p>\n<p>Now 29, Verratti still has time to grow even further into his own version of a \u2018next Xavi\u2019. When all is said and done, it\u2019s unlikely that his CV will mirror that of the Bar\u00e7a great, but it will almost certainly be eye-popping in its own right.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Jean Michael Seri<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After Neymar\u2019s record move to PSG in the summer of 2017, Jean Michael Seri was very nearly one of reinforcements brought in to soften the blow.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond Seri\u2019s obvious talent, interest from the Catalan club may have been stoked by Xavi himself who, in 2015, said, quite effusively: &#8220;When I was told that a player from Nice was called the \u2018African Xavi\u2019, I followed him very closely\u2026 I did not know him and I was stunned.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I haven\u2019t seen such midfield talent for a while. His short game, long game, tactical intelligence, distance shooting, personality, game organisation\u2026 Wow! He would go so well at Bar\u00e7a \u2026 He can play anywhere in the middle. Seri is fantastic. He has what is called Barcelona\u2019s Bar\u00e7a DNA. Without any hesitation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In light of such an endorsement, Seri, who was then in his prime at 26 years of age and renowned for his athleticism, unselfishness, and work ethic, ought to have made his way to Barcelona. Instead, a year later, Seri shockingly left Nice and moved to London, joining Fulham in the Premier League. After a disappointing first season in England, Seri returned to France for a year, via a loan to Bordeaux, before spending much of the 2019\/20 season in Turkey, with Galatasaray. He\u2019s since returned to Craven Cottage, and is a fixture in the Fulham side in the Championship.<\/p>\n<p>That Barcelona <a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/en\/2017\/09\/03\/soccer\/1504463747_851828.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cruelly teased this young talent<\/a> \u2013 who grew up idolising Xavi \u2013 with his dream move, but decided to spend four times as much on Philippe Coutinho, is inexcusable. Although, it must be said, given the quality of management during the Bartomeu regime, it\u2019s not entirely shocking.<\/p>\n<p>In light of how things have played out, it\u2019s highly unlikely that Seri would have built a legacy even fractionally as great as Xavi\u2019s. That he never even got the chance to try, however, is unfortunate.<\/p>\n<h2>Thiago Alcantara<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243810\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/25112753\/1243496_1243496_PA-55006977-min-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After Silva and Kroos, the most accomplished player on this list. Like Xavi himself, Thiago is not only a product of the Bar\u00e7a youth system, but one of its glittering gems.<\/p>\n<p>Thiago debuted with the senior team in 2009, at age 18, and was regular contributor to the 2010\/11 side which won both La Liga and the Champions League.<\/p>\n<p>Creative and technically gifted, with gifts for dribbling, ball control and precision passing, completely at home sitting deep in midfield and making plays but more than comfortable further up in attack, Thiago was a seemingly tailor-made &#8216;next Xavi&#8217;. That, from a young age, he was unflappable playing both alongside and against superstars only fed this notion, as did a substitution about an hour into the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de Espa\u00f1a, against Real Madrid, when he came off for Xavi.<\/p>\n<p>Thiago left Barcelona in 2013 with four league titles and a Champion League win to join Guardiola at Bayern Munich. In seven seasons in Germany, Thiago was a member of an awesome seven Bundesliga-winning sides. He\u2019s since moved on to Liverpool, where he is in his second season.<\/p>\n<p>Called &#8220;an extraordinary player&#8221; by Xavi himself, Thiago is a serial winner who has put together a truly spectacular career. Though he hasn\u2019t quite reached the stratospheric heights of Bar\u00e7a\u2019s legendary No.6, he has come about as close anyone to whom that heavy label has been attached.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/livescore-bet-bonus-code\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How to get a bet bonus code by signing up to Live Score\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/premier-league\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Premier League betting tips from expert tipsters<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-live-streaming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How to live stream today&#8217;s football matches<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Barcelona legend Xavi is one of the best midfielders in the history of the game. As a result, over the years, scouts, coaches and pundits have frequently attached the &#8216;next Xavi&#8217; label to a number of up-and-coming midfielders. And there is no greater desire to unearth the &#8216;next Xavi&#8217;, or temptation to see Xavi-esque qualities&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":411,"featured_media":1243654,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"What happened next? A look at the careers of players once compared to Xavi | Squawka","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Through the years, scouts, coaches and pundits have attached the 'next Xavi' label to a number of up-and-coming midfielders. How's that gone?","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1243496","cult-corner","type-cult-corner","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What happened next? A look at the careers of players once compared to Xavi | Squawka<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Through the years, scouts, coaches and pundits have attached the &#039;next Xavi&#039; label to a number of up-and-coming midfielders. 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