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It has not been smooth sailing for new Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez in his first few weeks back at the club. The Catalans relinquished the lead twice and played out a 2-2 draw with Osasuna on Sunday. Barcelona were also eliminated from the Champions League last week after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 13 December 2021.
Xavi Hernandez delivers verdict on 2-2 draw with Osasuna
Xavi Hernandez is starting to realize that he has stepped into the eye of the storm at Barcelona. It has been a tough couple of weeks for the new manager and a 2-2 draw against Osasuna will be filed as yet another disappointing result.
Speaking to the press after the draw, Xavi praised his teenagers and took a subtle dig at his senior players.
“Abde, Gavi and Nico were extraordinary. We’re lucky with the contribution the youngsters are making. It was a great effort from the whole team, but it’s the youngsters making the difference — and that’s difficult to digest.
“I think that’s positive and negative. It is a positive for the future but also a negative because such young players can’t always be the standout performers. We have to demand more from everyone.”
Ferran Torres remains keen on Barcelona move
Manchester City forward Ferran Torres is still ready to secure a move to Barcelona in January. The Catalans crashed out of the UEFA Champions League last week after losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich in their final group stage game.
According to AS, Torres is still keen on a move despite Barcelona's ongoing struggles. Crashing out of the Champions League has not bothered Torres. It is further claimed that Barcelona are yet to reach an agreement with Manchester City over the 21-year-old's transfer.
Torres joined Manchester City in the summer of 2020. He has scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for the Cityzens. The Spanish international was also the top scorer in the recently concluded UEFA Nations League and is currently sidelined with a foot fracture.
Barcelona want to sign Christian Pulisic on loan in January
Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona have identified three Chelsea players they would like to sign. The Catalans are monitoring Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Christian Pulisic.
Barcelona will make moves for Azpilicueta and Rudiger when their contracts expire next summer. They are looking to rope in Pulisic as early as January on an initial loan deal. Pulisic has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea due to his injury problems.
The Blues are pretty well stocked in the attacking department. Pulisic will find it hard to claw back into the starting lineup. He will need to outdo the likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi in order to nail down a starting berth.
The 23-year-old reportedly wants to move to a club where he will get more game time. Pulisic has made 89 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea since joining in 2019, scoring 19 goals and providing 15 assists.
