Barcelona already have their successor to Andres Iniesta in Denis Suarez
Denis Suarez has three goals in his last two matches for Barcelona, the latest of which came in a brace against Real Sociedad. His double helped the Blaugrana through to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, and his presence in Barça's midfield ensured they didn't miss Andres Iniesta too much as his injury layoff continues. There's no one in the world who can do just what the legendary Spaniard can, but the other Suarez is looking like the perfect alternative to Iniesta. He's not just filling in admirably, the young Spaniard is showing all the signs that he's his anointed successor.
To replace Iniesta is no small task. He is one of the world's greatest living midfielders, chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year six times and he's been voted into the FIFA World XI on eight separate occasions. He's won the World Cup, lifted the European Championship trophy twice, conquered Champions League four times, and won 25 other trophies.
When Iniesta isn't playing, it doesn't go unnoticed. Spain can't do without him, and when he's out of their lineup, they're a visibly worse team as a whole. It's the same for Barcelona. Even in a team full of world class midfielders, boasting the most lethal attack in the world ahead of them, when Iniesta isn't on the pitch, the Blaugrana simply aren't anywhere near the same level.
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is plenty aware of how good as Iniesta is.
"Nobody, nobody in my squad, nobody in world football," he said, when asked what player in his team is capable of doing what Iniesta does. "That's the problem. I have excellent players in that position, all of them bring something to the team in attack and defense, but I have never seen anybody like Andres Iniesta."
After Suarez's two goal performance on Thursday, Enrique couldn't help but praise the 23-year-old, though. And all while still putting Iniesta on a pedestal.
"He has the ability and is progressing," Enrique said when asked if Suarez could one day replace Iniesta. "But Iniesta is Harry Potter."
And it's true. Iniesta's a one-of-a-kind player, the type that you can never truly replace. Like the king of tiki-taka, former Barcelona captain Xavi, he has a skillset that can't be replicated. Still, at some point, like Xavi, Iniesta's time at Barça will come to an end, and someone will have to step in for him. Suarez looked like he might be that man before he returned to the Barcelona fold this summer, and increasingly, he looks like the anointed successor to El Cerebro.
Suarez's three goals in his last two games have caught the eye, but it's not just his ability to find the back of the net that makes the 23-year-old's potential so intriguing; he's as close to a carbon copy of Iniesta as there is in today's game.
Like Iniesta, he's versatile enough to play on both wings or in midfield, operating closer to goal, or even as a deeper-lying playmaker if necessary. They're built nearly identically too, both slight of frame, and not particularly blessed on the physical side, despite Suarez boasting a turn of pace Iniesta never had. It's their mesmeric ability on the ball and understanding of the game that really spurs the comparisons though.
Suarez had five goals and 11 assists for Villarreal in the 2015/16 season before Barcelona activated his buyback clause to bring him back to the Camp Nou. The majority of those were created through his wonderful close control and field vision, boasting a rare and special ability to find pockets of space where there shouldn't be any. As you'd expect, he's a fantastic passer of the ball too, and his 88.2 percent completion rate is bettered by only Iniesta himself in Barça's midfield.
Suarez is still young, and he hasn't shown any sort of consistency in a Barcelona shirt yet. It's understandable, given the quality in the Blaugrana midfield, but before his last couple games, he hadn't truly broken out with a defining performance to stake his claim for an increase in playing time. Alongside fellow summer signing Andre Gomes, he's struggled to truly establish himself and push to be more regularly included in the first eleven. With Iniesta and Sergio Busquets' latest injuries though, he's made the most of his chance to prove himself.
At 32 years old, Iniesta still has some years left, but his injuries have stacked up of late, and he's not at the age where recovery is a given. In his absence, Suarez has seized his opportunity, and Barcelona's midfield looks like it's in good hands. No longer is the eventual aging of Iniesta looking like a disaster for the Catalans.
Denis isn't the new Iniesta, but he may just be the next best thing.
