FC Barcelona are about to conclude their pre-season tour of the USA, as they have already played their last match in the States against AC Milan. After the 1-0 victory against the Italian giants, Xavi spoke to the media in which he provided his opinion on the things currently going on with the Catalan club.
One of the hottest topics related to FC Barcelona currently is that of Ousmane Dembele’s proposed move to PSG. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Xavi commented on Dembele’s situation:
“I’ll be clear, Dembélé asked to leave. He told us he has an offer from PSG, they contacted him directly. It’s a personal decision, and we can’t do anything about it.“
The Frenchman did not play in the AC Milan match, and Xavi shared the reason for his absence in the match:
“It really saddens me because we took care of him so he could be happy and continue making a difference, but he has this proposal, said he wants to leave, and that’s why he didn’t play.“
Xavi went on to explain that it was impossible for Barcelona to compete with the financial muscle of state-backed clubs like PSG, and thus, they were unable to retain the winger. Still, he wished Dembele good luck in the future:
It’s the law of the market; we can’t compete with this offer, it’s beyond our reach. We wish him all the luck in the world because he has given us a lot, at least while I have been the coach.”
The Barcelona head coach also shared his feelings about the transfer of the French winger:
“I’m a little disappointed, yes, but he told us he already talked to Luis Enrique and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, and there was no way to convince him. We tried, but the decision was made. He seemed so happy that I didn’t expect it.”
The subject of Ousmane Dembele took a significant portion of Xavi’s media talk time. He went on to give the details about Dembele’s decision to leave and its impact on the club in the following words:
“I’m in touch with Mateu Alemany, and we knew about the clause. That’s how the market works. Barcelona will move on. Players who don’t want to be at Barça have to be allowed to leave. I asked him why, the reason… He couldn’t really tell me, but it’s clear it’s a personal matter for him.”
Xavi was clear that Dembele’s departure would weaken the squad, and new signings might have to be made to compensate for this loss:
“We’ll see how the transfer market evolves, especially with Dembélé’s departure. We need to reinforce the squad. Dembélé’s departure weakens us. I’m happy with what we have on the wings, but we need to strengthen. Even if Ousmane had stayed, we would still need reinforcements. We need a pure right-back.”
Another player who did not feature in the AC Milan match and whose future is also highly uncertain at the Catalan club is Franck Kessie. However, Xavi disclosed that the Ivorian midfielder did not feature in this match for a different reason:
“Kessie didn’t play due to minor discomfort. As for his future, he knows perfectly well what the situation is.”
While the team did not score as many goals as it did in the last two games, the Azulgrana were in greater control of this match, and Xavi also praised the performance of the team in this particular match:
“We saw a great Barça; it was the best of the three games played on this USA tour, with very good sensations.”
Ansu Fati has not been in the best of forms for the last few seasons, but he showed glimpses of his talent at the end of the last season. He was decisive again in the match against AC Milan, as he scored the only goal, and Xavi had the following to say about the youngster:
“It’s an important goal for Ansu Fati, who made the difference, and we are very happy for him and the work of all the forwards.”
Gavi was still another player who did not play the match, and that certainly raised doubts keeping in view his importance for Xavi in the last season. However, the player was unfit and this is what Xavi disclosed after the match:
“Gavi will be crucial for us. Pure passion, a player who makes a difference. Nothing has changed. He’s not playing because of back pain. We’re saving him to play in the Gamper.”
Barcelona have played all their scheduled matches in the USA, and would now return to Spain to play against Tottenham in the Joan Gamper trophy, before the real action begins with the start of La Liga.