Xavi prefers Bernardo Silva over Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona – report

As it stands, Barcelona have five central midfielders on their roster, including Riqui Puig, who is expected to leave. Even without him, the club is expected to bring in Franck Kessie as an extra cog in the midfield.

Xavi was rather clear about his midfield choices through the 2021/22 campaign. While Nico Gonzalez got some chances here and there, the Spaniard was leaning towards the trio of Pedri, Sergio Busquets, and Frenkie de Jong, with Gavi serving as the first-choice backup.

With as many excellent options present in midfield, it is no surprise that one of the stars – de Jong – has been linked with an exit. Manchester United seem to be head over tails for the Dutchman and have had one bid, amounting to €80 million including add-ons, rejected by Barça.

Should he be sold, the Blaugranes are expected to move for Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, who has a price tag of nearly €90 million.

Xavi was never said to be uncomfortable with the departure of de Jong in the summer, but reports from Mundo Deportivo suggest that the coach, in fact, prefers Bernardo over the former-Ajax midfielder.

He wants to sign a midfielder who is as technically gifted as Pedri. While de Jong offers an immensely gifted skill-set, his profile is not quite what Xavi is looking for.

After the approval of economic levers last night – the sale of 49% of BLM and 25% of television rights -, de Jong’s exit is not a necessity, contrary to what was previously thought of. However, if Barcelona want to sign Bernardo, they will have to offload the Dutchman.

The coaching staff wants to have their squad ready, including new signings, before the pre-season kicks off in the USA, and as such, the next few weeks are set to be crucial for Barcelona fans.