Xavi: Mbappe and Haaland have not joined Real Madrid
FT Desk
- 16 Mar 2022 20:15 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona manager Xavi has played down talk of Real Madrid signing both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, and says that the collective will always be more important than superstar individuals.
Real Madrid are being tipped to make two blockbuster transfers this summer.
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Kylian Mbappe’s move from PSG is already considered to be as good as done.
Mbappe’s contract at PSG expires in June and he has repeatedly rejected offers of an extension.
The World Cup hero was involved in the biggest transfer saga of the summer in 2021 as he attempted to push through a move to Madrid.
The transfer didn’t go through but it has for some months now been accepted that Mbappe will move to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season on a Bosman.
And Madrid are also considered the favourites to sign Haaland from Borussia Dortmund this summer.
Haaland is set to leave Dortmund at the end of the season when a €75 million release clause is activated in his contract.
Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona are the three main teams vying for his signature, although there have been widespread reports in recent days that the Blaugrana can no longer afford Haaland.
Asked about the prospect of Madrid signing both Mbappe and Haaland, which would create a quite mouth-watering attacking line-up, Xavi was not fazed.
What did Xavi say?
“Mbappé and Haaland to join Real Madrid? Nothing has happened yet,” Xavi told reporters.
“There is no point commenting on signings in advance. I don't see much point in it.
“In football, the group is always more important than the individual players.”
Xavi was talking ahead of Barcelona’s Europa League second leg tie against Galatasaray in Turkey. The first leg at Camp Nou finished 0-0.
"For us the main objective is to be in the Champions League," he explained.
"Now we are in the Europa League, which if we win it would give us access to the Champions League. We are very excited, even if it is the Europa League, we are really looking forward to it.
"For us it's a final [against Galatasaray], it's heads or tails. The first part of the first leg was not good, we didn't come out with intensity.
"The example should be the [4-0 win] over Osasuna, where we were intense and we soon managed to get ahead.
"This is a final, in a stadium where they cheer and shout more. We have to try to do what we already did [at Napoli]."
Barcelona won 4-2 away at Napoli in the last round after a 1-1 draw in the first leg at home.
