Journalist provides update on Xavi's future amid Manchester United links following Ten Hag sack
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has provided an update on Xavi's future amid links with English giants Manchester United. The former Barcelona tactician is one of the names being linked to the Red Devils following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.
Dutch manager Ten Hag became the first managerial casualty of the Premier League this season after his sacking was announced on Monday, October 28. The decision came after Red Devils succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against West Ham United, a result which left them in 14th place in the league.
Xavi has been without a job since he was relieved of his duties by Barcelona after the 2023-24 season, and replaced by Hansi Flick. Journalist Balague took to X to debunk reports of an impending agreement between the manager and Manchester United to replace Ten Hag.
He claimed that Xavi's plan remains to spend a year out of the game on sabbatical before returning to management in the summer of 2025.
"The idea of Xavi has not changed. A sabbatical year and start a new project (why not in the Premier League) in the summer. He has not heard from Manchester United," he posted.
Manchester United have named former player Ruud van Nistelrooy as the head coach in an interim capacity. He had joined the club as an assistant manager in the summer.
The Red Devils have taken an interest with a number of potential managers, including the likes of Ruben Amorim, Edin Terzic, and Julian Nagelsmann, as per Mail Sport.
Erik ten Hag's Manchester United record
Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag months after handing the Dutch manager a new contract, after a disastrous start to the 2024-25 season. The Red Devils are in 14th place in the league and have won just one of their last eight matches across all competitions.
Ten Hag became United boss in 2022 and won two trophies in his two full seasons in charge of the club. The former Ajax manager took charge of 128 official games for the side, recording 72 wins, 20 draws, and 36 defeats in this time. He led them to a third-placed finish in the league in the 2022-23 season and a lowest-ever eighth-placed finish in the 2023-24 season.
Erik ten Hag oversaw the clubs's worst-ever finish in a UEFA Champions League season when they finished bottom of their group in the 2023-24 season. The manager won 56.3% of his games in charge of the club, recording 1.84 points per game on average.