Barcelona coach Xavi has called on the club to sign two midfielders in the summer transfer window, both to replace departing captain Sergio Busquets and also improved depth options.
Busquets is set to join Inter Miami, alongside former Camp Nou teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for a new challenge outside Europe. But he takes 15 years of experience and over 720 first-team appearances with him out of the club.
With Gavi and Pedri continuing to both establish themselves among the next generation of global superstars, Xavi is looking to further develop his midfield off the back of La Liga glory this past season and a renewed Champions League title in 2023/24 after successive group stage exits.
“I lack [the] inside game [in midfield]. The departure of Sergio Busquets is a big problem for me. Frenkie has stepped up, but I need creative players in midfield,” the boss said.
“You have to go for a high-level substitute,” he added on the need for depth.
“You have to prioritise if the club has financial problems. And the first is the pivot and the second is a play-maker. The rest we’ll see how far we’ll go.”
Barcelona are hoping to sign Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer this summer. His contract with Manchester City is due to expire this month and no fresh deal has been agreed. Gundogan’s City teammate Bernardo Silva is another on the radar but could cost £75m.
There have additionally been conversations regarding Joshua Kimmich, who is considering his Bayern Munich future after becoming unsettled. He still has another two years left on his contract at the Allianz Arena and could equally command a big fee as a result.