Xavi, the head coach of Barcelona, has refused to rule out a move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who Chelsea is looking to sign.
After an acrimonious end to his four-year stay at Arsenal, the 33-year-old forward has approved his return to the Premier League.
Although reports in Spain have suggested that Barcelona have cooled their interest in involving the Spanish full-back and would prefer a straight-up cash deal, it is understood that Chelsea have made an offer just shy of £15 million with Marcos Alonso in part-exchange.
Barcelona’s precarious financial situation has prevented them from signing players for the majority of the summer, but the use of four financial levers, which essentially involve selling off assets like TV rights for quick cash, has allowed players like Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen to be signed for La Liga games.
Aubameyang, Memphis Depay, and Frenkie de Jong are three players who are expected to leave Camp Nou, but Jules Kounde, a key summer acquisition from Sevilla, is still on the sidelines until Barcelona can raise additional funds.
When asked about a potential transfer for Aubameyang, Xavi refused to rule it out in a press conference prior to the game, but he did say that it’s crucial for Barcelona to register Kounde as soon as possible.
“There is a market that ends on August 31 and we will see what will happen. I am counting on him and tomorrow it could be important, but we will see the circumstances,” he said.
“We are going to assess,” Xavi added when asked about signing another forward. “Neither Auba nor Memphis has come out and tomorrow we will be able to use them. We have to see how the squad turns out. The priority is to sign up Koundé”.
Xavi also said when questioned whether the transfer window should close before the domestic season starts: “Yes. The player should be focused on football and the market should end when the leagues start.
“In the end, you don’t work in peace. You’re preparing for the week with a player and he can leave. It’s not the ideal scenario.”
