Barcelona wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong to balance the books after a busy summer of spending... or at least that's what we thought.
The La Liga side have splashed the cash to bring in Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, while Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen have joined on free transfers.
Manchester United would be more than happy to buy De Jong, should Barcelona need the money.
Yet Xavi has quashed those rumours. The Barcelona manager deployed De Jong as a centre-back in his team's 1-0 victory against bitter rivals Real Madrid in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, suggesting the Dutchman is part of his plans for the new season.
Xavi told reporters: "Frenkie? I don't send messages. I spoke with him. I like him a lot. For me, he is a fundamental footballer but there is also the economic situation and fair play. He can bring us a lot as a centre-back. I like him in that position."
As such, Mirror Football have looked at three ways Xavi could set up Barcelona to get the best out of his players this season... including De Jong at the heart of their defence.
4-3-3
Xavi's started with a 4-3-3 against Real, a formation which Barcelona have always championed. The Spaniard is likely to use it more times than not throughout his tenure at the Camp Nou and De Jong is at his best when playing in the heart of the midfield.
The problem is Xavi has plenty of midfielders at his disposal. Captain Sergio Busquets remains their senior holding midfielder, while Kessie's arrival could force De Jong on to the bench. There's also Gavi, Nicol Gonzalez, Sergi Roberto, Riqui Puig and Golden Boy Pedri.
Should Xavi deploy that system, Lewandowski will lead the line with the likes of Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay, Ousmane Dembele and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang playing either side of him. Barcelona have too many forwards, in truth.
3-5-2
If Xavi wants to play De Jong at centre-back and get the best out of him, deploying a 3-5-2 could be the way forward. De Jong could act as a sort-of-sweeper in Barcelona's defence, starting attacks from the back while having two centre-backs to support him.
That would allow Barcelona to have wing-backs - with Sergino Dest and Jordi Alba best placed to fulfil those roles - and Lewandowski to have a strike partner up front. The Poland international could be joined by Fati, viewed by many as the future of Barcelona.
And let's not forget about Aubameyang. Five years ago, the former Borussia Dortmund star and Lewandowski were the most feared strikers in the Bundesliga. With more than 800 club goals between them, an Aubameyang-Lewandowski partnership could be deadly.
4-3-3 (again)
Based on Xavi's comments, there's every chance De Jong could play alongside just one other centre-back. He wouldn't be the first midfielder to be converted into a centre-back by a Barcelona manager as Pep Guardiola did the same with Javier Mascherano.
De Jong isn't a natural attacker - finding the net just 18 times for Ajax and Barcelona - and he played in defence under ex-boss Ronald Koeman. Yet he may not want to become a full-time defender and his best chance of a midfield role could be at Old Trafford.
Although it's unclear what the future holds for De Jong, Xavi certainly has a wonderful squad at his disposal. It promises to be an exciting season for Barcelona.
