Barcelona

Xavi 'to hold talks with Al Sadd over Barcelona move'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 28 October 2021

Xavi - the leading candidate to replace Ronald Koeman as Barcelona boss - will reportedly meet with Al Sadd bosses on Thursday in the hope of agreeing an exit with the club.

Xavi will reportedly meet with Al Sadd bosses on Thursday in the hope of agreeing an exit with the club.

The 41-year-old made 767 first-team appearances for Barcelona between 1998 and 2015 before moving to Al Sadd, where he played for four seasons before taking over as head coach.

Xavi has been in charge of 95 games for the Qatari outfit, boasting a record of 63 wins, 15 draws and 17 defeats, and he has a contract with the club until after the 2022 World Cup.

The former midfielder has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Ronald Koeman as head coach at Camp Nou, though, with the Dutchman losing his job on Wednesday night.

A recent report claimed that Barcelona have been in contact with their former player for a number of weeks to discuss the possibility of becoming the new boss at Camp Nou.

According to Marca, Xavi will meet with Al Sadd on Thursday to determine whether he will be allowed to leave, although any move relies on Barcelona negotiating an exit fee.

The Spaniard is allegedly hopeful that his strong relationship with his current club will make it relatively straightforward for him to leave.

Xavi recently said that he was "ready to coach any team in the world" when questioned on the managerial position at Barcelona.