Barcelona boss Xavi unwilling to let 24-year-old star continue at club after performances this season: Reports
Barcelona boss Xavi Hernández is reportedly not in favor of retaining 24-year-old João Félix in his squad for the upcoming season. The Portuguese forward joined the Catalan side in 2023 on loan from Atletico Madrid till June 30, 2024.
Back in January, the Blaugrana boss initially announced that he would step down by the end of the ongoing season. However, he has since changed his decision and will lead the squad for one more season after the club urged him to continue.
Following their elimination from the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League and arch-rivals Real Madrid claiming the La Liga title, Barcelona will remain trophyless this season. Xavi would like to make impactful changes to strengthen the squad to ensure better performance in the next season.
Although he has made some contributions, Joao Félix has been seldom listed in the starting XI for Barcelona and his regular appearances are limited to some minutes during substitutions.
According to El Nacional, the forward's situation is not going to change with only weeks left for the new season. Even though the Portuguese would reportedly like to continue with the Catalans, Xavi believes that Félix will not be an undisputed starter and feels that looking for an alternative is a better option.
Joao Félix has scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for the Blaugrana this season.
Barcelona striker admits he considered joining Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona's 35-year-old forward Robert Lewandowski recently admitted that he talked with Kylian Mbappé about a potential transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and believed that both would have excelled together.
The Poland national team captain told Le Parisien (via Get Football News Spain):
"It was the subject of our conversations, of course. He's 11 years younger than me, so he has his whole life ahead of him. I don't know if one day I'll play with him but it would be something special: easy for him and easy for me too."
Xavi's squad are currently third in La Liga with 73 points in 34 matches. With four more league fixtures left, they are just one point behind second-place Girona and still have a chance to finish the season as runners-up.
The Blaugrana will next face Real Sociedad in the La Liga at home on May 14.