Xavi has ruled out the signing of Premier League midfielder for Barcelona – report

Barcelona have been in the market looking for a defensive midfielder for a few seasons at this point. With Sergio Busquets edging towards the final juncture of his career, the blaugranes want to sign a long-term replacement for the Spaniard.

The club’s top-choice for the position has been Martin Zubimendi. However, the Real Sociedad midfielder has a release clause of €60 million, which does not fit in Barcelona’s budget at all.

Therefore, they have been keeping tabs on other players as alternatives, such as Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves.

While Joan Laporta really appreciates the player, Xavi has discarded his signing for the summer, as per a report by Javi Miguel. The Portuguese midfielder does not fit into the club’s plans.

The president had also spoken about Neves earlier this year, saying, “Neves is a great player, but this is part of private conversations. Busquets will not last forever and there are internal discussions to find a replacement for him.“

Earlier reports had stated that Barcelona had been offered the chance to sign Neves in the summer in exchange for Ansu Fati and cash. The coaching staff do not want Fati to leave, though, and are evidently not in favour of signing Neves.

That said, Neves is enjoying a tremendous 2022/23 season at Wolves, having scored six goals across 31 games so far. He has largely played as a single pivot, but Xavi believes his profile fits a double pivot more.

Further, Barcelona have started to prioritise a move for Sofyan Amrabat in that position, as they see him as the best fit for the role, over Neves. The Moroccan is expected to cost around €25-30 million.

However, if they cannot move for Amrabat in the summer, they will turn their attention towards Guido Rodriguez, who has convinced the Barcelona coaching staff.