A few days of absolute vertigo await Xavi Hernández. The Blaugrana coach plans to call his office from today, and for the next ten days, to all the players in the squad to explain the situation and the club’s plans regarding them. As AS has learned, Xavi has fifteen especially delicate casesin addition to three more that he will not be able to face imminently, as they are loaned players who return this summer: Francisco Trincao, Miralem Pjanic and Álex Collado.
To make such an enormous number of cases to be solved much more bearable, we are going to list them player by player:
Neto: The Brazilian goalkeeper wants to play and Xavi cannot guarantee him minutes. Thus, his intention is to leave the club this summer. With a contract until 2023, the intention of both parties is to find an exit that reports some economic income.
Mingueza: The defender has hardly counted in Xavi’s plans and a transfer will be sought for him. The player also accepts that a change of scenery is the best solution for his ostracism. His professionalism and honesty are valued. He has a contract until 2023 and a fit will be sought for him in the national market.
lenglet: The French center-back doesn’t have much more to offer in Xavi’s plans. In addition, the arrival of the Danish Andreas Christensen completely block the way. Renovated two years ago and with a contract until 2026, it is one of the priority departures. It is considered to have a good poster. Clubs like Sevilla were interested in him in his day. He might even get into some bartering operation.
Umtiti: Its renewal this season was solely and exclusively to lighten the wage bill of the first team and allow the signing of winter reinforcements. With a relatively affordable salary, an assignment will be attempted. The French market is the big target.
Luke de Jong: The Dutch striker ends his loan from Barcelona on June 30. His performance is considered more than remarkable and his great professionalism is valued, but today a new assignment is not contemplated. He will return to Sevilla.
Braithwaite: The Danish striker does not count in Xavi Hernández’s plans. With a contract until 2024, a transfer will be sought. The player wants to have minutes thinking about the World Cup in Qatar and is willing to find a way out. The club expects to enter between 6 to 10 million for him.
Adama: In no case will the purchase option be executed, set at 30 million euros. Only a bareback trade with Francisco Trincao would allow him to continue at Barcelona. The technicians value his performance and his role within the team, but they consider that there are other priorities. If Wolverhampton accepts this exchange formula, the youth squad would stay. For now, the English club is not being very receptive.
Riqui Puig: The one from Matadepera has to make decisions about his future. Without continuity with Koeman and even less with Xavi, his role within the team is testimonial. With one more year of contract, he will look for a transfer. A transfer is not ruled out, but the club wants to keep an ace up his sleeve, because at 23 years old it is considered that he still has time to explode.
Frenkie de Jong: Xavi wants him in his project, but he is aware that the Dutchman is one of the players with the largest market and that he could partly relieve the club’s precarious treasury and also allow him to face other signings. At the club they are open to listening to offers starting at 80 million. Xavi would not close the doors to an exit, since he considers that there are other players with a clearer sign of non-transferable in the squad.
Dest: If an offer from 25 million euros arrives, the club would be willing to listen to it. Xavi would not block his departure, as long as the arrival of César Azpilicueta is confirmed. The technicians value the growth of the American winger, but they have other bets when it comes to giving continuity to the project. Monchi’s Sevilla have been behind him for some time and in Barcelona they yearn for the central defender Jules Koundé. The excellent relationship between the current technical secretary of the Seville club, Fernando Navarro, and Xavi could end up making operations more dynamic.
Alves: His situation is very similar to Dest’s. In fact, they are practically communicating vessels. If the American stays, the veteran Brazilian defender will have to leave. Xavi highly values the international’s winning character, so he would like to have him for one more year, but everything will be at the expense of how the Dest case ends. The player is crazy to continue, at least until the World Cup in Qatar.
Memphis: The coaches value his association with the goal and his resilience in bad times, but if Polish striker Robert Lewandowski finally lands, his role could be reduced to a minimum, since the left wing will go to Ansu and Ferran. If a ‘top’ 9 does not arrive, the Dutch striker would continue at Barcelona and even a renewal would be proposed so that he does not leave for free next summer.
Dembélé: It is one of the cases that has Barcelona fans most in suspense. For months he has been lurching between unconditional love for the club and the most absolute contempt. Xavi wants him to continue because he considers him a ‘top’ winger and that makes the difference, the player wants to stay because he has found the perfect ecosystem to exploit, but his representative considers that Barcelona’s downward renewal offer is insufficient for all lights. We are in this give and take, with a final meeting in the next few days that is announced to be decisive.
Sergio Robert: About to sign his renewal for one year. The technicians consider that he will be an important wild card for the team for next season, as long as his problems with injuries are resolved. It has been practically unpublished for the last two seasons and so much bad luck is beginning to worry. He has agreed to continue at Barça earning less than half of his current salary.
Pique: One of the most delicate cases. Xavi has no doubts that he is the absolute leader in defense and a key player in his project, but assuming the uncertainty of his physical condition. He suffers from a chronic injury to the adductors, that is to say, it can stagnate and even improve, but in no case can it be solved one hundred percent. In this final stretch of the season he has forced himself to help the team, playing in pain and having to leave more than one game, so there is real concern among the coaches about his condition. At the club they are aware that next season will be, in the best of cases, Gerard’s last. The reflection with the player will not be in any case if he wants to continue, if not, under what conditions he believes that he will be able to endure one last season.
