‘Matter of time’ – Barcelona set to agree new deal with key man

Barcelona are not going to change their long-term plans despite the recent run of disappointing results under Xavi Hernandez.

Early in March, club president Joan Laporta expressed his desire to extend Xavi’s contract, which was set to expire in 2024. However, Xavi is yet to win over a significant section of the fan base due to Barcelona’s concerning form in cup competitions and their over-reliance on defenders to see out the game.

Bayern Munich, who were comfortably run over by Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday, were strides ahead of Barca over the two fixtures in the group stage. The Europa League campaign was no different for the Spanish giants, as Manchester United knocked them out from the play-offs round.

The latest cup competition disappointment came against a familiar foe, Real Madrid, who ran ragged at Camp Nou to seal a 4-1 win on aggregate in the Copa del Rey semi-final.

‘Matter of time’ – Barcelona set to agree new deal with key man

Xavi has so far not managed to imbue Barcelona with a set playing style and mentality to fall back in tough situations. But it appears, the hierarchy prefers to look at the bigger picture and not write off the improvement players have shown in the league. The Blaugrana have a 13-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga.

On Tuesday, Fabrizio Romano yet again suggested that it’s just a matter of time before an agreement over Xavi’s new deal is found. Barcelona have a ‘proposal ready’ for their key man, who is ‘actively working’ on the future plans with the club.

In the next phase of his rebuild, Xavi needs to not only ensure Barcelona do well in cup competitions but he should also hand out more opportunities to young stars at the club.

Despite several injuries to senior players, the 43-year-old hasn’t shown great eagerness to give minutes to promising talents Pablo Torre and Estanis Pedrola.