This summer is set to be a hugely important one for Xavi and FC Barcelona.
The Catalans will end the season trophy less after a well below par campaign, and one which has seen eternal rivals Real Madrid back at the summit of Spanish football and, potentially, European football.
Were Los Blancos to beat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in the Champions League final, it would put the gloss on their 2023/24 and really ram home just how far behind them the Catalans remain.
Xavi wants Kimmich at Barcelona
Not forgetting that Kylian Mbappe is soon expected to join the all whites.
By contrast, Barca still need to be shopping at the lower end of the transfer market, with loans and free transfers again the order of the day.
There could be some money available for one or two bigger name signings, though much will depend on how well the club can work the transfer market.
For Xavi, it’s clear that there is one player more than any other than he wishes to acquire before the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
According to Sport (h/t Fichajes), Bayern Munich’s versatile Joshua Kimmich is the man that Xavi wants to anchor Barca’s midfield from next season.
An experiment in bringing Oriol Romeu back to the club from Girona clearly hasn’t worked, and given how much the club has missed Sergio Busquets, it’s vital that the Blaugranes get a reliable exponent in place.
The outlet note that the 29-year-old could cost in the region of €60m, and that’s likely to be out of Barca’s price range unless there’s room for negotiation.
Without Kimmich or someone of his ilk in place, Xavi will again struggle to ensure his team can retain some kind of defensive solidity, and a second season without any sort of silverware in the trophy cabinet will ensure that big changes will be afoot in the dugout in 12 month’s time.
