It’s set to be a very busy summer for FC Barcelona, after Xavi Hernandez surprisingly reversed his decision to stay on as manager at the club.
For weeks now Barca’s legendary midfielder had insisted that he wasn’t for turning and that a decision he’d made earlier in the year would remain.
President, Joan Laporta, vice-president Rafa Yuste and sporting director, Deco, apparently had other ideas and eventually managed to convince Xavi to, at the very least, see out his current contract.
Ahead of the summer transfer window decisions will need to be made on certain players, as Xavi looks for a formula to help bring the glory days back to the club.
Ansu Fati and Clement Lenglet to leave Barcelona for the SPL?
Two players that will have to look for pastures new are Ansu Fati and Clement Lenglet and, according to Sport, the Saudi Pro League beckons for the pair.
The outlet note that Lenglet already turned down a move there a year ago, however, with no apparent future at loan club, Aston Villa, and Barca clearly having moved on, a solution must be found for the Frenchman.
For Fati, a loan spell at Brighton and Hove Albion hasn’t worked out the way everyone hoped, and despite being thought of as Lionel Messi’s successor at one stage of his career, injuries blighted his progress to the extent that the club now want to wash their hands of him.
Whether the 21-year-old will want to go is another matter entirely, albeit his injury concerns are likely to put off major clubs in any of the top European leagues.
From Barcelona’s perspective, any money brought in from sales will help them in their pursuit of staying on the right side of Financial Fair Play.
That’s unlikely to be in the thinking of either player as they plan out their own careers, but they’ll know their future lies away from the Catalan giants.