Barcelona head coach Xavi has hailed Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo's professionalism whilst admitting that age does not impact his thoughts when it comes to recruitment.
The Spaniard, 42, is gearing up for his first summer transfer window in charge at Camp Nou. He took charge in November and re-signed club legend Dani Alves almost immediately, despite the Brazilian now being 39.
He further strengthened his arsenal in the January window, landing Adama Traore, Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The latter is 32, meaning Xavi is not afraid to add experience to his ranks with players who are north of 30.
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Ahead of the summer, Barcelona, who are going to be forced to box clever with their recruitment because of their financial difficulties, are being linked with signing Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international will turn 34 in August, meaning it once again highlights that Xavi is not going to be afraid to invest in experience this summer.
Answering questions on whether Barcelona could move for the former Borussia Dortmund goal-getter this summer, Xavi namechecked Ronaldo when outlining why he has no qualms about adding experienced players to his ranks. He identified the United ace when listing players who have remained professional in the latter stages of their careers.
"When it comes to signing, age doesn't concern me… we signed Dani Alves when he was 38," said Xavi. "Players take care of themselves, they're more professional.
"Alves, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Luka] Modric, Cristiano [Ronaldo] or [Lionel] Messi are examples."
Ronaldo, despite turning 37 in February, has proven that age is nothing more than a number. He has been United's best player this season, scoring 24 goals in all competitions, 18 of which have come in the Premier League.
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