Xavi talks Messi, Yamal and Lewandowski ahead of Celta

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Here’s the latest from the Barcelona boss

Xavi has faced the press ahead of Barcelona’s final La Liga game of the season on Sunday Celta Vigo.

The Barcelona boss spoke again about Lionel Messi, summer transfers and teenager Lamine Yamal, who has been impressing at the Under-17s Euros.

Here are the best bits:

Xavi on Celta

The team wants to finish with good feelings. We want to win. There are individual objectives too. The clean sheet record, Lewandowski’s top scorer. Celta are in a very complicated situation, but we want to play well and win.

Xavi on summer transfers

The priorities are clear. I would really like Leo to return. He knows it and I have already spoken about him. It depends a bit on him. Apart from Leo, the priority is a defensive midfielder. They are the ideal scenario.

Xavi on Ansu Fati

I can say much about Ansu and the general planning. We depend on La Liga and this feasibility plan. From there we will decide.

Xavi on the Women’s UCL final

I have a very good relationship with Jonathan. He is doing a great job. They never tire of winning. It is difficult for them to even tie. We will be watching this final. As a culé and as an admirer of this team, I wish them the best.

Xavi on Ruben Neves

I don’t want to talk about specific players. The club already knows the priorities, also in terms of names. I am very clear in terms of names and positions.

Xavi on signing Messi

I’m not nervous, I am expectant because I have been talking to him. Wherever he has gone, things have gone well for him. I would be excited, it is a more his decision, more personal. I would understand any stage, but as a culé I would really like him to come back.

Xavi on Ter Stegen

Tomorrow he will play.

Xavi on Lewandowski

I highlight the attitude with which he has arrived, he has made an enormous difference. He is a top player in the world.

Xavi on his new contract

They offered me the renewal when we lost the Copa del Rey semi-final. There won’t be any problems, we’ll agree. This is my home and I hope I can be here for many years.

Xavi on Lamine Yamal

We have followed the European Under-17. The Barça players have been good. The idea is for Lamine Yamal to be between Barça Atlètic and the first team because he can help us a lot.

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FC Barcelona News: 3 June 2023

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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors

Alexia Putellas: 'I feel 100%' - FC Barcelona
Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen appeared before the press ahead of the final training session for Barça Women prior to Saturday's Champions League final against Wolfsburg in Eindhoven. Under intense media interest, both players appeared optimistic before the showdown in the PSV Stadion.

Preparations continue for the final game of the season - FC Barcelona
The 2022/23 league campaign is coming to a close. The blaugranes have just one game remaining and Xavi Hernández's team carried out their penultimate session of the season at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper before the trip to Galicia to take on Celta Vigo on Sunday, kick off 9pm CEST.

When and where to watch Celta v FC Barcelona - FC Barcelona
On Sunday FC Barcelona round off their La Liga season this Sunday with a trip to take on Celta Vigo in the Balaídos stadium, kick off 9pm local time. The home side are battling against relegation with the Galicians and Valladolid, Almería, Cádiz, Getafe and Valencia all still in with a chance of joining Espanyol and Elche in the Second Division next season.

Three blaugranes called up for Nations League matches - FC Barcelona
The Nations League returns in June and squads are being named with blaugranes set to be involved as is usual. Gavi, Jordi Alba and Frenkie de Jong have all been called for the Spain and Netherlands national sides respectively for games that will take place between 14 and 18 June.

Barcelona no longer looking at Joao Felix move - SPORT
Joao Félix is on the market and Atlético is not hesitating to position him. Diego Simeone, his coach, made it clear on 'Cope' that he would open the doors for him and indicated that Barça could be a good destination for him due to his characteristics.

Robert Lewandowski keen on Leo Messi return - SPORT
FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has taken stock of his first season at the Catalan giants. The Pole, in an interview with TVE, has assured he is “happy" for what he has achieved and that he wants to continue being part of the project.

Caroline Graham Hansen: The only thing I want tomorrow is to beat Wolfsburg - SPORT
Saturday's Champions League final will be a special one for Caroline Graham Hansen, scorer of both goals in the semi-final against Chelsea, who will face her former team Wolfsburg. She lost three Champions League finals with the German side, also against Olympique Lyon.

Jonatan Giraldez: Turin's memory is no longer present for us - SPORT
"We have a good chance of winning the final". Jonatan Giráldez instilled optimism in FC Barcelona fans ahead of the final of the Women's Champions League 2023 final, the club's fourth in their history. The Barcelona coach explained that "the memory of Turin is no longer with us" and, after the disappointment of last season, his players face the match for the most prestigious continental title with "patience" and "calm"."

Barcelona convincing Ilkay Gundogan with three-year deal - SPORT
Ilkay Gundogan is already very close to joining Barça. Despite the interference of Manchester City and Arsenal, the player wants to end his era in the Premier League and open a new experience in the Spanish league and seems to have already given the total OK to the operation. It has been fundamental that the Blaugrana club has guaranteed him three years of fixed contract to win the game despite the fact that nothing has been signed yet.

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Inter, Atlético and Benfica keen on Jordi Alba - report

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The defender has options

Jordi Alba has reportedly attracted plenty of interest after announcing his departure from Barcelona.

Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid and Benfica are all thought to be keen on the 34-year-old who said his goodbyes to the club in a special ceremony yesterday.

Alba was wanted by Inter last summer, but opted against a move, and it seems the Nerazzurri are ready to reignite their interest.

Atleti are also thought to be keen to do more business with Barcelona, while Benfica are searching for a replacement for Alejandro Grimaldo.

It’s thought Alba would prefer to stay in Spain, as his wife is currently expecting their third child, which suggests a move to Atlético could be on the cards.

Luis Suarez and Memphis Depay have both swapped Barca for Diego Simeone’s side in recent seasons - could Alba be the next Barca player to head to the Wanda Metropolitano?

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Julian Araujo to get Barcelona chance in pre-season

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The right-back slot is up for grabs

Julian Araujo will get a chance to stake his claim for the right-back slot at Barcelona in pre-season when the team head to the United States.

The Mexico international arrived in the winter and has been training with Barcelona Atletic and, on occasion, with the first team.

There have been reports already that he’s not been up to scratch and could be loaned out, but Xavi has said the plan is to look at him in pre-season and then make a decision.

“If I could, I would add a natural right-back at the back, because there aren’t any in the squad,” he told Mundo Deportivo

“We have options like Sergi Roberto or Araujo, but none natural and we are going to see Julián Araujo in preseason. But the right side is not a priority.”

Barcelona have been linked with right-backs but the financial situation means it would be no surprise if they didn’t strengthen the position, particularly as Xavi has priorities elsewhere.

Jules Kounde has done a fine job at right-back this season but seems to have made it clear that it’s not his preferred position and he’d much rather be playing centrally next season.

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Cancelo not keen on Premier League return as Barcelona rumors continue

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Where will he play next season?

Joao Cancelo has reportedly made it clear he doesn’t want to return to England next season. The Portuguese star is wrapping up one of the stranger seasons in some time and will be returning to Manchester on contractual terms, but likely not physically or mentally.

The full-back has spent the second half of the season on loan at Bayern Munich where he struggled to find a place in the starting eleven amidst managerial shifts and lineup whack-a-mole. Since the season wrapped up, he’s seemingly made it clear he has no desire to return to the Premier League.

That leaves the door open for Barca. If he isn’t staying at Bayern and doesn’t want a CIty return, then not sure where else he can go wherein his talents are best utilized.

Xavi has already admitted he wanted Cancelo in January and had agreed a deal but City blocked the move. Could Barca try again in the summer?

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Xavi gives his verdict on Nico Gonzalez and Ez Abde

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The duo are set to return

Xavi and young players go together pretty well when he likes them. The Barcelona manager spoke about two youngsters in particular this week. The Spaniard went into detail about Nico and Ez Abde in an interview with MD.

“I see Nico as more offensive. He has a slightly more attacking mentality, more dividing, dribbling… To give you an idea, a bit like Frenkie de Jong this season.”

“There are always options. We have many on loan, we have followed them. I think Nico has been good. The pity is that he has been injured for three months. But I think this season has been very good for him. Also for Abde, to give another example, who has done very well in Pamplona, ​​in Osasuna,”

Xavi | Source

Xavi will always raise his expectations for what youth at Barcelona are capable of what he thinks they can offer the club. It’s now up to the players to deliver.

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Should Xavi sign Carrasco or give Abde a chance?

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The duo have different styles

The rumour mill keeps turning apace and the name of Yannick Carrasco won’t go away as far as Barcelona are concerned.

It’s believed that the Catalans have been interested in the 29-year-old for some while now, having negotiated an €18m buy option for the player when executing the Memphis Depay deal with Atletico Madrid.

However, any deal for the Belgian international doesn’t appear to make an awful lot of sense at this point.

Clearly, he has bundles of La Liga experience which is in his favour, however, for most of the second half of the 2022/23 campaign he’s operated as a wing-back, a position which Barca have adequately covered.

Assuming he would therefore be bought as a winger, one has to look at his advancing years and drop off in pace as reasons why the deal doesn’t really need to be done.

Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

If the physicality that he often displays for Atleti was a pre-requisite for Xavi, it would still be an odd deal to do, but would make a little more sense.

Yet all of Barca’s wide men currently - Ansu Fati, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele - aren’t renowned for their physical output.

Perhaps a move for Carrasco might suggest that the coach is going in a different direction in terms of what he expects from players in those positions.

Ez Abde is due back at the club after the completion of a successful loan spell at Osasuna.

Aside from scoring some important goals for the team from Pamplona, he quickly won over the home crowd at El Sadar thanks to a mix of blistering pace, no little skill, and his desire and will to win.

Ask any football fan... if you have a player that always gives 100 per cent, they’ll be forgiven for most things.

‘Everyone loves a trier’ or so the saying goes, and Abde has been much more than that for Osasuna.

Photo by Ion Alcoba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

From Xavi and the club’s perspective, the loan has worked out brilliantly and the player returns much the better for it.

If the general feeling is that youth players at Barca supplemented by two or three experienced heads is the way to go, then surely it’s a no brainer for everyone concerned.

Given the financial mess that Barca are still in, they simply can’t afford to be signing players such as Carrasco that perhaps won’t offer as much overall value as required, purely because he’s the bigger name.

He has contributed more goals this season for Atleti it’s true (via WhoScored), and that might be the only logical reason why he is still apparently being considered.

Abde has shown beyond doubt that he’s ready to take on more responsibility. Sure, he’s still a little rough around the edges, but there’s nothing in his game that Xavi can’t smooth out.

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