Barcelona have clear plans for Eric Garcia as Flick reshapes his defense | OneFootball

Despite having successfully defended their La Liga title last season, FC Barcelona seem set to oversee several changes in their team going into the next season, in which winning the UEFA Champions League will be at the top of their priority list.

The Blaugranes have already seen important departures, including the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, while new signings have also been made, including Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon. Meanwhile, they are also working on some more exciting signings, like Joao Cancelo, Rodri Hernandez, and Julian Alvarez.

In addition to these new arrivals and departures, some existing players are also going to see their roles change. This is particularly the case with Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde, and SPORT reports that the Spanish defender has been training and playing mostly as a right-back since returning to training at Ciutat Esportiva, and this is the role Hansi Flick intends to give him primarily for the next season.

An indication of this change already came at the end of the last season, as the German coach played Garcia on the right flank even when Kounde was available. In fact, of the 51 total games the Spanish defender played for Barcelona last season, 11 were as a right-back.

Despite these plans, the German coach is also looking to take full advantage of his versatility as well. Thus, he can be used also as a center-back, or even in the midfield, according to the coach’s needs.

This new role once again shows the faith that Flick has in Eric Garcia, who has grown to become a key player for the German coach. In fact, he was the player with the highest number of appearances (51) and starts (47).

Meanwhile, this change also points to the changed reality for Jules Kounde, who has remained an important player for Flick so far, but is now facing a season where he will not have a fixed starting spot. Still, Barcelona are clear they will not force an exit on him, but they will consider a departure if the player himself wants a change of scenery and an important offer arrives, with Arsenal particularly looking for a player of his characteristics.