Former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández has revealed that he identified a key Arsenal midfielder as a prime transfer target during his tenure at the Spotify Camp Nou.
That player was Martín Zubimendi.
Throughout Zubimendi’s time at Real Sociedad, the Spanish international was consistently linked with a move to Barcelona. This interest intensified significantly following the confirmation of Sergio Busquets’ departure to Major League Soccer.
As mentioned, Xavi himself was the driving force behind Barcelona’s pursuit of Zubimendi.
In a recent interview with La Vanguardia, the Blaugrana legend openly discussed the topic of Zubimendi, who is now a prominent figure at Arsenal. Xavi confessed:
“I requested the Barcelona board to sign Martín Zubimendi, but my request was denied. It was a financially-driven decision; they opted for a more affordable alternative. However, we had just lost Busquets… and I couldn’t comprehend how we couldn’t secure Zubimendi.”
