After officially announcing his intention to stay on as FC Barcelona’s coach next season, Xavi, who had initially announced his departure, wishes to prepare as well as possible for the 2024-2025 season. To this end, the Catalan coach has already outlined some of his priorities.
With little left to play for this season, except to solidify their place on the podium in the league, FC Barcelona is already looking ahead to next season. Hoping to avoid another trophyless year, the Catalan club, knocked out by PSG just shy of the Champions League semi finals, is keen to prepare well for future challenges.
In this regard, Xavi broke his silence to give a preliminary overview of his expectations. “Last season, we didn’t do all the planning, but we hope to do it this year,” Xavi said, according to Foot Mercato.
Xavi Wants to Keep Frenkie De Jong and Sergi Roberto
“We’ve calculated that the players will arrive at the end of July or the beginning of August. La Liga will not start until August 17 and 18. We will have time to prepare for the new season. The summer will be intense,” he said.
Determined to anticipate everything, the 44-year-old Spaniard also took advantage of the press conference to drop some hints about his wishes for the upcoming summer transfer window. Indeed, if the reigning Spanish champion plans to recruit, they will inevitably need to sell some key players to comply with financial fair play.
In this context, the Spanish press suggested that Barca might part with Frenkie De Jong, who was already nudged towards the exit in the summer of 2022 and is considered one of the highest earners in the Barcelona locker room.
Asked about this rumor, Xavi, however, underscored the importance of the Dutchman in his squad. “For me, De Jong is a key player. Nothing has changed; he is really crucial for me. He’s been unlucky with many injuries, but his level has always been excellent, I consider him a crucial player.” A firm opinion that the Spaniard also reiterated when discussing Sergi Roberto.
The Future of Vitor Roque Reconsidered
“Sergi Roberto, I want him to renew, to stay. It’s up to him to decide. The club knows where I stand with Sergi. He can help us; he has already done so since we arrived as staff. I hope he can stay,” he said.
Determined to keep his two protégés, the former Spanish international has, however, left the door open to a future loan for Vitor Roque, who arrived last winter. Lacking playing time in the Blaugrana shirt, the 19-year-old Brazilian sees his future dimming in Catalonia.
“We will decide at the end of the season. It’s not easy coming from another league; it’s not easy to make a difference at Barca. He needs more minutes, confidence, and at the end of the season, we will decide,” Xavi said.
Finally, while Lamine Yamal, recently linked with PSG, and Ronald Araujo, pursued by Bayern Munich and Manchester United, have been deemed non-transferable, Xavi refused to speculate, ensuring he had not yet discussed these two hot issues with his management.
“We haven’t talked about anything. The club’s situation will determine the planning,” said the interested party, still working closely with his president, Joan Laporta, and his sporting director, Deco.
One thing is certain, before diving definitively into a new season, Xavi seems to already have a very specific plan in mind to (finally) reach the heights with FC Barcelona.
