Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has admitted club legend Xavi could leave the club this summer.
Xavi is without doubt one of the most highly regarded players in the Catalan club’s history, having won 16 major honours and made 723 appearances – more than any other player – over a decade and a half as a first teamer.
But the fact that Xavi is now 34 and suffering from an ongoing Achilles problem means he is no longer the force of old, and he was controversially left out of the team by former boss Tata Martino for the La Liga title-decider against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Xavi is believed to have an interest in moving to the United States to experience the MLS, perhaps alongside former Barca teammateThierry Henry at New York Red Bulls, and newly appointed Enrique conceded the midfielder’s future is open to doubt.
On his unveiling at the Nou Camp he said: “He’s a friend and former teammate. I could say great things about him. The time will come to sit down and talk and assess what he wants and what we want, but he’s got the World Cup now. We’ll wait until after then before deciding things.”
Another player who could be on his way out is Cesc Fabregas, whose future drew an equally non-committal response from Enrique.
In marked contrast to the club’s attitude last summer, when Barca repeatedly stated their desire to keep Fabregas in the face of a series of bids from Manchester United, he said: “We shouldn’t make any decisions, there’s time for everything.”
However, there was a more positive response to the question of another former Premier League star in Javier Mascherano, with Enrique even suggesting he may choose to give the Argentine enforcer the captain’s armband.
He said: “This is a bit like Xavi. They’re very important footballers, not just on the field. You see how he manages himself, with all the qualities of a captain. There’ll be time to make decisions.”
Predictably, Enrique reserved special words of praise for Lionel Messi, who suffered a fragmented campaign but still ended up with 28 goals in La Liga.
“I’m delighted to have the best player in the world in my squad, and the club must feel the same, because they’ve renewed his contract,” Enrique added.
“His performance this season hasn’t been as incredible as other seasons, but it’s still impressive. He’s indispensable, a unique player.”
Enrique, who spent eight years as a Barca player and later managed the B team for three seasons under Pep Guardiola, confirmed he was delighted to be returning to the club he regards as home following his stints at Roma and Celta Vigo.
He said: “When I left Barca B, they said to me that it wasn’t ‘goodbye’ but ‘see you soon’, and they’ve been as good as their word.”
