Hansi Flick has unearthed the ideal successor to Pedri, who remains sidelined recovering from a brutal injury.
With Pedri sidelined again and his physical fragility a recurring concern, Hansi Flick has been forced to redesign the structure of his engine room.
Instead of turning to the market or radically changing the system, he appears ready to lean on a versatile, technically gifted attacker capable of sliding seamlessly into the interior role and replicating much of Pedri’s influence between the lines.
That player is Dani Olmo, who now looks primed to “dress up as Pedri” and assume the responsibility of Barça’s left-sided interior in Flick’s positional play, as reported by Diario Sport.
The Egarense playmaker has the profile the coach craves: associative, press-resistant, with vision in tight spaces and the ability to receive between lines and accelerate combinations around the box.
Having been used previously as a winger, second striker and advanced midfielder, Olmo now emerges as the favourite to occupy the “8” role and bridge the gap between Frenkie de Jong’s buildup and the forwards’ finishing.
Flick’s recent in-game adjustments already hinted at this plan.
When Pedri went off injured, Olmo stepped in from a nominal wide position to operate more inside, dropping into pockets, linking with De Jong and Fermín and offering an extra passing lane in the half-spaces.
Tactically, this “replacement” is less about cloning Pedri and more about redistributing creativity.
With Olmo as interior, De Jong can stabilize the base while Fermín or another midfielder attacks the box, ensuring Barcelona keeps three high-level ballplayers on the pitch at once.
It also grants Hansi Flick flexibility: Olmo can switch zones, appear between lines or drift wide depending on the game state.
If the plan holds, Barcelona may finally have found a way to protect Pedri, extend his career and still keep the team’s identity intact during his absences.
Want to get the latest Barcelona news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
