Xavi dreams of Arsenal legend as midfield solution

Stuart Telford

• 9 Jun 2023 19:17 BST
• 3 min read

Xavi wants to 'sign a Santi Cazorla' for Barcelona this summer as he looks to build a squad capable of defending the La Liga title next season.

Barca won the La Liga title 10 points clear of defending Spanish and European champions Real Madrid this season against the backdrop of a crippling financial plight.

The Blaugrana have begun to emerge from a debt which stood at €1.35 billion when they lost Lionel Messi on a free transfer to PSG in 2021, but they have nonetheless been told by La Liga to raise another €200m if they want to defend their title next season.

READ: Neymar back to Barcelona? Xavi makes his feelings CLEAR

It is understood that all but Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, Gavi and Pedri are available for transfer this summer, and the club are looking at free transfers and loans to bolster their squad, with Manchester City pair Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo among those linked.

Arsenal are attempting to beat Barca to both players - Gundogan on a free, Cancelo for a fee - but it is their former midfielder Cazorla that Xavi wishes he could sign.

Xavi 'in love' with Cazorla

"I'd sign a Santi Cazorla for Barca," Xavi, who previously coached his former Spain teammate at Al-Sadd in Qatar, told Jijantes.

READ: Five Barcelona players who NEED a transfer this summer

"He's the best player I've worked with as a manager. You can't put a price on him. With the exception of Messi, [Sergio] Busquets and [Andres] Iniesta, he's the player I've most fallen in love with. He has a talent that doesn't exist anywhere else in the game."

Whilst Cazorla is still playing at 38, the chances of him signing for Barcelona would appear to be slim - although Xavi is keen to add experience on the cheap with Busquets leaving at the end of his contract this summer.

Cazorla also has a profile that Gavi and Pedri can learn from, and stranger things have happened.