As I stated earlier, that he is threatened for regular starting at Barca was most likely speculated by media, unless Barca signed any new midfielder. Barca even have offloaded Thiago. The situation and condition are mostly the same, if not better, since he arrived. Why now his position threatened, but at the past years he wasn't? He even make it as a starting XI for Spain 'false 9' in Euro 2012 instead.