Xavi's dream Barcelona XI for 2022/23
It is no secret that Barcelona have been having a torrid time both on and off the football pitch.
Losing the world's best player in Lionel Messi, steeped in financial trouble and with practically no transfer funds to spend in January, it's looking pretty bleak for the Catalan giants.
They have already lost a chunk of the reported €20 million they had planned to spend on improving the squad in January when they chose to sack manager Ronald Koeman last month.
That cost the club between €10m-12m, and according to ESPN, this will be taken out of the transfer budget, leaving new manager Xavi with just €10m to spend on his squad.
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Nevertheless, the returning Barca midfield icon has brought some light to the already long dark tunnel the club and its fans face.
But let us live in a bit of fantasy. What if Xavi could afford the transfer targets he has identified? What could the Blaugrana side look like? FootballTransfers builds a 'what if?' Barcelona team.
Thiago back in Barcelona colours?
Dani Alves has already returned to work under his former team-mate and now it looks like Xavi has targeted another former player in Thiago Alcantara.
Thiago played for the club until 2013 before moving to German giants Bayern Munich.
Now at Premier League Liverpool, he has failed to reach the same heights he reached in Germany and could be looking for a homecoming to his first club.
A product of the Barca academy, he could provide a tiki-taka heartbeat for the team.
Raheem Sterling to leave Man City?
It appears Sterling has fallen out of favour at the Etihad under Pep Guardiola following the arrival of £100m man Jack Grealish.
And the 26-year-old is keen on a move abroad and with his peak years still ahead, this could be a move that would interest him.
Antonio Rudiger on a free?
The Chelsea star is still to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge and looks to be on his way out of the club.
A free transfer would help bring Barcelona into the reckoning and although Bayern Munich and Juventus are keen, the Spanish giants still have pulling power through their name and history.
Edison Cavani
Another player to have fallen out of favour at his club.
Cavani is seeing less and less game time despite Manchester United's struggles this season.
At 34, Cavani might see Barca as one last chance to be a starter at a big club.
Kingsley Coman and a change of scenery
The French winger, 25, has played ten seasons of senior football - and won the league title in every season, during spells at PSG, Juventus and now Bayern.
But, after needing heart surgery earlier this season, Coman has struggled to force his way back into a settled side seemingly motoring their way to another Bundesliga and Champions league in 2021/22.
Other targets
Barcelona have been linked with RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres, but with mercurial talents Pedri and Gavi establishing themselves in the team, and with ever-present Sergio Busquets still in the picture, it's the attacking side of things Xavi needs to focus on.
Who would have thought fives years ago we would complain that Barcelona football club are short up front?
Xavi's Dream XI?
Here's Xavi's dream Barcelona XI for 2022/23 in all its glory.
Read more about: La Liga, Barcelona, Antonio Rüdiger, Dani Olmo, Edinson Cavani, Ferran Torres, Kingsley Coman, Raheem Sterling, Thiago Alcantara
