Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has held a heart-to-heart with Philippe Coutinho in recent days.

Don Balon says Pique pulled Coutinho aside and let him know it was time to "step up". Barca's senior players see the Brazilian as the man to replace captain Andres Iniesta in their midfield next season.

It's now accepted amongst the squad that Iniesta will leave at the end of this season - and the vote is for Coutinho to fill the void.

However, the midfielder will have to improve his consistency, which is why Pique spoke one-on-one with him last week. Coutinho has the full support of the senior playing group to succeed Iniesta, but he needs to step things up between now and the end of the season.