Xavi says Barcelona will start negotiations with Bayern if €80 million-rated midfielder ‘opens the door’ | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Xavi has affirmed that the Blaugrana will only open negotiations with Bayern Munich for Joshua Kimmich if the player is open to leaving the Bavarians.

The Blaugrana are on the lookout to sign a new pivot now that Sergio Busquets has decided to leave. At the moment, the team is exploring several options, including Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat, and Kimmich happen to be on the list too.

On the other hand, it is also said that Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves is close to becoming Barcelona’s new signing too. However, despite the Portuguese’s possible acquisition, Barcelona will still want to sign a pivot and although Zubimendi is said to be Xavi’s preferred choice, Kimmich can be a good addition too.

As things stand, Bayern do not really want to part ways with Kimmich as they consider him a key part of the project. At the same time, though, they do understand that if they want to sign an out-an-out forward, they will have to sanction heavy sales and in this regard, Kimmich happens to be their biggest cash cow.

At the moment, nothing is advanced as the player has not conveyed anything to Bayern. Above all, it does not seem like he wants to leave the German champions anyway. But if he does, Barcelona will indeed make a move.

“He is a super top player, who understands the game in a fantastic way. If there is an open door, there will be a negotiation with Bayern,” Xavi told Mundo Deportivo (h/t AS).

“What is clear is that we need a player of a very high level in that position, otherwise, it will be very difficult to compete next year. The club already knows that if I have to call someone or travel, I do it because, to begin with, I’m a culé and now I’m the Barcelona coach,” he added.

Meanwhile, the manager also went on to admit that the team will look to sign quality players this summer as they want to make a strong impact in the UEFA Champions League next season.