Al Sadd release official statement regarding the Xavi to Barcelona rumours

Over the past few days, reports of Barcelona appointing Xavi as the next manager have been intensifying. There have been claims that the Catalan giants already have reached full agreement with the 41-year-old to take over and it was only a matter of time before an announcement was made.

However, that may not be the case, if an update from journalist Achraf Ben Ayad is to be believed. The reporter claims that Barcelona are yet to negotiate with Al Sadd for the release of Xavi and will have to send down officials to Doha in order to hold talks before they can sign the Spaniard as their manager.

“If Barcelona wants to contract with Xavi, they must send officials from the club or the president himself to Doha in order to negotiate directly with Al Sadd in order to resolve the issue,” Ben Ayad writes.

“Relying only on Xavi’s desire is not enough. Things must be taken seriously before the opportunity is lost,” he adds.

This update comes after Al Sadd sent out a statement on the matter stating that the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner still had two years left on his contract with the club and is focused on the task at hand amidst all the speculations.

The statement read: “In response to what’s circulating recently, the Al Sadd management reaffirms that Xavi has a two-year contract with the club and is fully focused on the team’s upcoming matches, to maintain our lead at the top of the league and to defend the title”

So, as things stand, claims from the Spanish media that Xavi was close to being named the Barcelona manager may be off the mark, for now. The Blaugrana legend has done a sterling job at Al Sadd, winning seven trophies in his time with the Qatari outfit, while recently reaching the 100-match landmark.

Despite all the claims and rumours, it seems like there is still work to be done before the Catalan giants can secure the return of the club icon.