Xavi wants Frenkie de Jong to stay at Barcelona for "many more years" amid rumours linking the midfielder with Manchester United.
It's believed incoming United boss Erik ten Hag is interested in bringing De Jong to Old Trafford this summer. The 52-year-old was announced as the Red Devils' next permanent manager on Thursday, starting a three-year spell in Manchester next month.
Ten Hag worked with the 24-year-old at Ajax before he joined Barcelona in July 2019. The Dutchman was a vital part of the team that won the Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup in 2018-19. Ajax also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League that season.
Despite the rumours, Xavi is hoping De Jong will remain at his current club beyond the summer. "I haven’t talked with him about his future," admitted the Barcelona manager ahead of Sunday's La Liga game against Rayo Vallecano.
"He is playing at a very good level and has to continue here – he can be one of the best midfielders in the world for years to come. If it were up to me, I would continue here for many more years. He is very important and can mark an era here. He has to score, assist and he has to be the protagonist."
Speaking in December, Xavi insisted: "Frenkie de Jong will not leave the club. He’s not for sale - we consider Frenkie as a key player for Barca."
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Although Ten Hag may struggle to land De Jong, it's clear he needs to sign at least one midfielder this summer. Paul Pogba is out of contract at the end of the season and is expected to leave the club, despite being offered a £500,000-a-week deal to stay.
"As it seems right now he will not renew his contract and I don’t know," admitted United interim boss Ralf Rangnick on Friday. "Maybe the club or Erik will not want to renew his contract, I don’t know. It’s most likely he won’t be here anymore next season."
There are also huge doubts over Fred's defensive nous, Nemanja Matic's ageing legs and Scott McTominay's ability to succeed at the highest level. United need a box-to-box midfielder, someone who can offer support in both defence and attack.
And Ten Hag believes De Jong can fulfil that role. "He leaves the middle of the pitch too often for that," said the coach in 2019. "And if you don’t give him the freedom to go forward, you won’t get the best out of his game."
Ten Hag is also thought to see De Jong as a natural leader and someone who can spearhead his United revolution. That could be bad news for Harry Maguire, who is at risk of losing the captaincy this summer following a poor Premier League campaign.
And De Jong is used to playing alongside Donny van de Beek. The 25-year-old is currently on loan at Everton and will be hoping his old Ajax boss Ten Hag can revive his career. Van de Beek has made just four league starts for United since arriving in September 2020.
