New Barcelona manager Xavi reportedly wants to sign Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah as he aims to rebuild his team.
The Catalan giants are currently ninth in La Liga, 11 points behind leaders Real Sociedad with a game in hand.
According to Spanish outlet El Nacional, Xavi wants Salah, 29, “at all costs” with rivals Real Madrid closing in on the free transfer of Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.
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Barcelona is reportedly more than £1billion in debt and lost Lionel Messi to PSG and Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid during the summer as a result.
Xavi’s alleged interest in Salah depends on his employers’ financial recovery and the player’s contract situation at Liverpool.
The Egyptian is out of contract in June 2023 and could become available for transfer if the Reds don’t agree to an extension with him before the end of the season.
Liverpool is thought to be alert to the danger of losing Salah and will do “everything possible” to prevent him from following in the footsteps of Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho.
Xavi is a long-term admirer of Salah and described him as one of the best players in the world following Liverpool’s victory against Flamengo at the Club World Cup final in 2019.
The ex-midfielder told reporters: “They [Liverpool] are one of the best teams in the world… they also have great players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and [Roberto] Firmino.
“Salah is one of the top 10 players in the world right now and always gives his best performance. I’ve watched him in the final, he is a great player and deserves to get the best player of the tournament award.”
Although the chances of Barcelona signing Salah remain unlikely at this moment in time, the Spanish outfit is in with a shout of bringing Raheem Sterling to the Nou Camp.
Reports suggest Xavi will try to sign the Manchester City star, 26, on loan in January, with a view to making that deal permanent in the summer.
Sterling has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad following the arrival of Jack Grealish in August, making just three Premier League starts this term.
Xavi desperately needs more options upfront as Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati and Coutinho have all struggled with injuries in recent years.
Sergio Aguero is currently out of action with a heart problem, while Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong aren’t proven at the highest level. [Dailymail]
