Last year at this point in the transfer window, Barcelona had already secured the signings of both Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen, with the official confirmations the only pending task. Now, progress seems slow in comparison, thus an important intervention becomes necessary.
FC Barcelona maintain contact with their various summer targets and hope to maintain further calmness in negotiations, as players begin to get suspicious and worried regarding their registrations and the time it is taking Barcelona to formalize official offers for them. This is where Xavi Hernandez himself comes in.
As recalled and highlighted by SPORT, this would not be the first time that a direct contact or call from Xavi Hernandez will be brought forward to ease the worries for the various targets that Barcelona are trying to provide assurance to.
The transfer operations of Franck Kessie, Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, and Andreas Christensen in particular were eased by the interference from Xavi which in turn allowed Barcelona to generate enough funds and space to be able to fully register their new signings.
Likewise, Barcelona ask for patience from their targets, which include the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Joshua Kimmich, Vitor Roque, and Joao Cancelo. Taking into account the case of Kimmich in particular, the German considers Xavi as one of his childhood idols and would surely place huge reference and importance on what the Spaniard has to offer in terms of assurance and advice.
SPORT themselves also recall their interview with Franck Kessie, in which the Ivorian midfielder recounts just how strong Xavi Hernandez’s influence is on the players of today:
Xavi was the key, yes. When you admire someone as a child and sometime later, maybe eight, nine, 10 years, your phone rings and it’s those calls you’ve been waiting for and dreaming about all your life. You pick up the phone impressed already.
A huge player who calls you to try to convince you to join his project. I hardly needed time to think, the decision was more than made.
For now, the Catalan club continues to find ways to generate adequate funds and ensure unwanted players end up departing. Xavi and his team at Barcelona already have next season in mind as they look to assemble a truly competitive side for the 2023/2024 campaign.
