Dani Olmo (27 years old) has begun the season much like he ended the last one: as an important player but not an undisputed starter. Minor injuries have influenced his role in the opening matches, and the competition with Fermín for the attacking midfield position remains fierce.
Olmo played 45 minutes in the first two league matches and 62 in Vallecas, where he was a starter. This inconsistency has persisted with the national team, where he played a few minutes against Bulgaria but did not participate against Turkey, where Fermín came on in the 68th minute.
Olmo seems to be suffering from cyclical muscular issues that have forced him to rest, preventing him from finding his rhythm. “I feel important. In a long season with many competitions and matches, it is important that we are all connected, and competition always helps. I am seeking more consistency, like all players. It is important to have it for physical fitness and for confidence. That is the goal. I need minutes and to play,” he admitted a few days ago on the program ‘Tot Costa’.
Improvement in Second Seasons
Right now, there is a gap between the Olmo that dazzled in his early games with Barça and his current version. The first piece of good news for the player is that he has always improved in his second seasons at Leipzig and Zagreb.
In Croatia, his first full season as a first-team player was 2017-2018, which he completed with nine goals. In the second season, 2018-2019, he scored 12 goals and provided three assists, his best numbers in Croatia. A similar thing happened at Leipzig. After scoring five goals and providing one assist in 2019-2020, Dani climbed to seven goals and 11 assists in 2020-2021.
The second positive aspect is that Flick continues to believe he is the most impactful player in the squad for the attacking midfield position. Furthermore, he is the front-runner to start in the first home match against Valencia on Sunday.
Injuries to Frenkie de Jong and Gavi’s situation turn Casadó into an option for the midfield position. A profile -defensive specialist- that favors Olmo’s starting position. Since joining Barça, Olmo has shown he is the best at cleaning up plays alongside Pedri for the team.
Few dominate the art of control and turns like he does, but he struggles more with defensive work. In this area, Fermín is a more aggressive player in pressing and defensive retreats.
Olmo stated just a few weeks ago that he set a goal of reaching 20 goals. Last season he reached 12, adding seven assists. These figures underscore a differential contribution, but they don’t seem to be the player’s ceiling. In his best performances, Olmo has given the impression of potentially being one of the best in the world. He proved it emphatically with decisive goals in the last European Championship.
At 27, Olmo is facing what should be the ‘prime’ of his career due to his age. Flick, who has a special relationship with the player, trusts that the injuries will fade away as it happened with Pedri, who is currently thriving. The former Leipzig player knows that if the team functions well, he will be one of the major beneficiaries.
“We maintain maximum ambition. We come from a great year with Barça and want to replicate it this year. A single draw should not cause any panic. We are a young team, and not all matches will go as we want. There is no concern. We need to improve, and we know what our goals are. There is no problem at all.”
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