Xavi Hernandez is expected to complete his switch to Barcelona sooner than expected.
The former Barca midfielder has been the Blaugrana’s number one choice since the moment Ronald Koeman was sacked, and perhaps even before that.
The problem for Barca is that Xavi already has a club having been in charge of Qatari side Al-Sadd for the last two years.
In a bid to negotiate a reduced fee from Xavi’s €5million release clause, Barcelona directors Mateu Alemany and Rafa Yuste travelled to Qatar on Wednesday for talks.
And today, Xavi is expected to meet with Al-Sadd chief Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani at the chairman’s personal palace.
According to Mundo Deportivo, things are expected to progress quickly after that meeting, and Barcelona are said to be hoping to announce a deal before the end of today (Thursday).
That could be a huge for Barca and their fans with some concerning reports emerging earlier that negotiations were going slowly.
If Xavi is confirmed today, or any time this week, it’s unlikely he will take charge as soon as this weekend when Barca face Celta Vigo away from home.
It’s likely Xavi will be in Catalonia by then, but Barca may decide to leave Sergi Barjuan in charge ahead of letting Xavi get to work during the subsequent international break.
