Xavi confirms Barcelona's transfer priority this summer after Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez recently reiterated the club's priorities in the transfer market after they missed out on Inter Miami-bound Lionel Messi.

Having missed out on their club legend, Barca are focused on strengthening the core of their team.

🚨 Xavi on @MovistarFutbol: “Our priorities should be an interior and pivot - 2 signings in midfield” #Transfers ✍️

Speaking to Movistar Futbol, Xavi stressed that Barcelona need to sign two midfielders:

"Our priorities should be an interior and pivot - 2 signings in midfield."

Barca were blessed they had Sergio Busquets man the 'pivot' role for the better part of a decade, playing the role to perfection. It will be challenging for them to find a player even close to Busquets' profile, but it remains on their list.

In the past, Barca had Andres Iniesta who mastered the role of the 'interior', or inside forward. In their system, this player is usually someone who starts as an attacking midfielder but often makes runs beyond the attackers while the team are pushing forward. Iniesta excelled at that, and the club have identified Ilkay Gundogan as a potential target to fill the void.

Barcelona dominated under Pep Guardiola, thanks to their unmatched control in midfield, so it's no surprise they're looking to strengthen the center of the pitch again.

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami contract details revealed following Barcelona snub

Lionel Messi made the long-awaited announcement regarding his future on Wednesdat (June 7), following his exit from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The player and his camp were also linked with a move to either Barcelona or Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia but chose the MLS as their next destination. Following his blockbuster move to Inter Miami, The Athletic revealed some of the mouthwatering terms included in the Argentine's contract.

🚨😳 Included in Lionel Messi's deal with Inter Miami:

➡️ Percentage on subscriptions to the MLS Season Pass from APPLE TV, paid directly by APPLE
➡️ Percentage of Inter Miami shirt sales, paid directly by Adidas
➡️ Possibility of acquiring an MLS franchise at the end of his… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/liWC0wgDt8

Not only will Lionel Messi get paid by the MLS' digital partners Apple, he will also receive a share of Adidas' profit through Inter Miami shirt sales - a company for whom he already is a brand ambassador.

The cherry on the cake is that Messi will be given an option of acquiring an MLS franchise towards the end of his contract, rumored to be a maximum of two years.

Inter Miami are next in action on June 11 when they travel to face New England Revolution.