Xavi would be ‘delighted’ if Barcelona sign 2018 FIFA World Cup finalist this month

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez would be delighted if the club were to sign Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan this month as part of a swap deal involving Franck Kessie.

Over the past few days, there has been a lot of chatter about Barcelona and Inter Milan working on a player-exchange operation that would see Kessie return to Italy while Brozovic would arrive at Camp Nou.

The report from Mundo Deportivo states that it is Inter Milan that have offered the services of Brozovic in exchange for Kessie. And it further states that manager Xavi would welcome such an operation.

This is because the 42-year-old tactician sees the Croatian international as a good short-to-medium-term option for the club to cover for and replace Sergio Busquets.

The Barcelona captain is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to sign a renewal. Furthermore, there is no natural backup for him in the position at Camp Nou at this moment. And Xavi believes that the January arrival of Brozovic would address that issue.

The 30-year-old was a key part of the Croatian national team that reached the finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and finished third in the 2022 edition of the tournament. He has shown his levels at the biggest stage, which has convinced Xavi that he can be a good addition.

However, the operation is seen as complicated at this moment as Kessie, despite his lack of game-time, is happy at the club.

Any move would hinge on Barcelona’s ability to convince the Ivorian to accept an exit this month, which could enable them to bring in Brozovic from Inter Milan.

But with Kessie seemingly happy to stay at Camp Nou, completing the transfer could be far from straightforward.