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Miralem Pjanic could be about to get a second chance at Barcelona after impressing in the club's pre-season tour.
The Bosnian midfielder was involved in the mega swap deal that saw Arthur Melo head to Juventus back in the summer of 2020.
He played 19 times in La Liga in his first season but fell out of favour under Ronald Koeman and ended up spending last term on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, where he made 26 appearances.
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But just when Pjanic was becoming something of a forgotten man at the Nou Camp, he's returned to the Blaugrana for pre-season.
The ex Lyon man has been featuring in the tour of the United States and his latest outing, against former employers Juve, seriously caught the eye.
Barca and Juve played out a 2-2 draw at Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas - with both Ousmane Dembele and Moise Kean bagging braces in the clash.
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Pjanic, wearing the No.16 shirt, came on for Sergio Busquets and slotted into the deep-lying midfielder position with absolute ease.
The 32-year-old was really tidy in possession and produced a plethora of passing in between the lines to cut through Juve.
Fans liked what they saw from Pjanic, who could well be like having a new signing in the ranks.
One commented: "What a great performance from this guy! Hopefully he stays and get to play more minutes!"
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A second said: "The only midfielder in our team, who is able to make risky line cutting passes from the mid."
A third added: "He is a very good player. Just annoyed that Barca never gave him more of a chance when he first joined. Would love to see Xavi give him another chance, but whether we can afford to register him to play is another thing."
With Frenkie de Jong poised to play as a centre-back if he stays put, Pjanic could be used as a back-up to Busquets according to some reports.
Speaking about his performance, Xavi said: "I liked it a lot. He gives us a lot with the ball, he found the interiors very well. He has an exclusive vision of football in general, because there aren't many who see the game like that with their first touch.
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"He always looks forward, looks very well for the pass to nine. He has played a great game."
Still with two years on his deal at the Nou Camp, Pjanic is hopeful of spending an extended period working under Xavi, who he sees as a role model.
"I have a contract with Barcelona until 2024," he told Fanatik.
"This year we will be working with our new coach Xavi. I hope it will be a very good season for the team and for me"
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"In the last two years, I have struggled with injuries, Covid-19, and went out on loan. But now it’s different. I am convinced that I can get back to my best. I’ve been working with a physical trainer this summer.
“It’s time to show the fans the old Pjanic."
Josh Lawless