Xavi Expresses Interest in Signing Arsenal Midfielder for Barcelona

Xavi Hernandez shared that the Barcelona board turned down his request to sign Martin Zubimendi while he was coach at Camp Nou.

He wanted Zubimendi to replace Sergio Busquets after Busquets left for Inter Miami in 2023.

At the time, Zubimendi was with Real Sociedad, but Barcelona deemed him too costly to pursue.

Instead, Barcelona acquired Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City as a free transfer and signed Oriol Romeu from Girona for only €3.4m.

Zubimendi stayed at Sociedad until last summer when he moved to Arsenal for about £51m. The 27-year-old has had a strong first season in North London, helping Arsenal lead the Premier League and compete for four trophies.

This transfer decision marked a significant point for Xavi, who left the club after the 2023-24 season without winning any titles.

In an interview with La Vanguardia, he expressed his disappointment over Barcelona’s inability to secure his desired players.

“I asked Barcelona management to sign Martin Zubimendi, they told me no,” he stated.

“It was a financial decision; they opted for a less expensive alternative. But we lost Busquets… and I wondered, how is it possible that we can’t get Zubimendi?”