After the setback against Girona, Xavi Hernandez faced the press and stated that “many things need to change for the next season.” He mentioned that he would discuss with Deco and Joan Laporta to collectively make a plan for June. The former captain’s decision to stay on Barcelona’s bench provides a certain comfort to the club, as they don’t have to think about a new head coach. Instead, the focus will solely be on strengthening the team on the field. Catalonian ‘Mundo Deportivo’ writes that Xavi’s idea is to strengthen four positions after the season, and the club’s leading duo have nothing against it happening, only if Financial Fair Play (FFP) allows it. In the coming weeks, Barcelona should finally clarify its FFP status for the next transfer window, namely whether it will be able to spend as much as it earns. Of course, much depends on who and for how much Barça manages to sell surplus players, because what is planned for acquisition is not cheap…Vitor Roque is mad at Xavi: They have no communication whatsoever!?Xavi wants to finally recruit successors for Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembélé, whose departures are not covered. Additionally, Gavi is facing a long pause due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, so that also needs to be considered… The idea of the young coach is to bring in two players in midfield, a defensive midfielder and a central midfielder, as well as a left winger and a striker. One reinforcement is already agreed upon. It’s Guido Rodríguez from Betis. He arrives as a free agent as his contract is expiring. Barça has had him on their radar for a while, and the other Catalan newspaper, Sport, writes that the final agreement on the transfer has been reached. The Argentine was one of Xavi’s options last year, but the club waited another year to avoid paying compensation.Lack of alternatives or money leaves Barca with Xavi for another yearNow, he’s coming in instead of Oriol Romeu, with whom Barcelona will part ways. And, most importantly, his signing doesn’t conflict with the acquisition of a top-class defensive midfielder. Xavi’s desires are Joshua Kimmich from Bayern and Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. Kimmich has been Xavi’s long-term wish; he even had a discussion with his agents. He has one more year on his contract with Bayern, and reportedly he would like his future to be resolved before June 14, when the Euros begin. Kimmich could potentially leave this June for a reasonable sum of money, much like what happened with Robert Lewandowski, except he’s still waiting to see who will be Bayern’s coach next season and whether they even want to discuss extending his contract. On the other hand, Zubimendi is being monitored by several English clubs. He has a contract with Real Sociedad until June 2027, with a release clause of 60 million euros. Last season, he refused to leave the club because he dreamt of playing with them in the Champions League. Now that he’s achieved that dream, he’s ready for the next step, and his desire is the Premier League.Laporta after Girona: This is unacceptable!The situation on the left wing is also critical. Ferran Torres hasn’t met expectations, and Xavi is running out of patience, so he wants to bring in someone who can cover that position better. There are two options – Dani Olmo and Nico Williams. The price for the former is 60,000,000, and for the latter, it’s €50,000,000. With Olmo, Barcelona would gain another option behind the striker, but it all depends on who will leave Catalonia first. Williams has played some fantastic games for Athletic Bilbao and brought them a national cup trophy after 40 years. Like Zubimendi, now that he’s achieved a boyhood dream, he can think about the next steps. Bernardo Silva is also always in the mix. But that’s an idea for the position behind the striker. Xavi wanted him last June, it didn’t happen, and Manchester City reportedly wants close to 60,000,000 for his release. Perhaps it’s more realistic for the Spaniard to wear the jersey of the Catalan giant this year. It’s difficult, but much depends on City’s future plans, namely whether and how much Pep will renovate the team.##NAJAVA_MECA_8079525##Finally, there’s the striker. This position isn’t necessarily a must to refresh, but the fact is that Barça lacks firepower upfront. For this reason, the club needs another “killer,” but the question remains about what will happen with Levandowski. The Pole turns 36 at the end of August, and it’s clear to everyone that they should be thinking about a successor. That was supposed to be Víctor Roca, but controversy has arisen around him for the wrong reasons. He’s allegedly unhappy with his status and is primarily angry with Xavi because they have absolutely no communication, so he doesn’t understand why he was brought in six months before the agreed-upon deadline. Even the girlfriend of the 19-year-old Brazilian attacked Xavi on social media after the Girona match, then retracted her statement… Anyway, this June could be busy in Barcelona. First of all, let’s see if the club will even have the money to fulfil all of the coach’s desires or if they’ll have to rely on the idea of signing free agents again.
