Xavi set for summer move to Qatari football

Barcelona midfielder Xavi looks set to make a summer move to Qatari club Al Sadd

According to Spanish sports publication AS, Barcelona and Spain metronome Xavi Hernandez is set to leave the Catalan club for Qatari outfit Al Sadd on a three-year-contract.

The veteran midfielder has been the heartbeat of the Barcelona midfield for a long time, but it seems the time has come to leave.

The Catalans have not yet confirmed the deal, but the prospect of Xavi leaving La Liga and European football now seems a very real one.

Icon

Xavi Hernandez will go down as a true Barcelona icon. A long with fellow La Masia graduate Andres Iniesta he has been the heart, soul and brains of the Barcelona midfield for over a decade.

His extraordinary ability to keep the ball and play the right pass was not truly appreciated until Tiki-Taka football was in its pomp, at both club and country level.

Often underrated because he was not a Hollywood player, Xavi was a vital part of Pep Guardiola’s team that are considered by many as the best club team to have ever played the game. Carles Puyol provided the brawn at the back, Lionel Messi provided the magic in attack and Xavi was the big footballing brain in the middle of the park.

Passionate

Former-Spain international Xavi is a football man through and through. Unlike some players who play the game for the riches it brings, the 35-year-old seems to have a true passion for the beautiful game and Barcelona in particular, which is rare in modern football.

Right time

Xavi’s Barcelona contract expires at the end of the season and he has not always been a regular in the heart of midfield for the Catalonians this season. Barcelona boss Luis Enrique seems to be moving to a more direct style and maybe Xavi has been a casualty of that.

The veteran midfielder still has the class and the brains to play at the highest level, but maybe age has caught up with him and it is the best time to leave for pastures new.

Glittering

To say that the midfielder has enjoyed a glittering career would be a major understatement. The veteran star made his debut for Barcelona in 1998 and has since gone on to win seven La Liga titles, three Champions League and two Copa Del Rey crowns.

Xavi’s international career was also trophy-laden, having won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012 and also the World Cup in 2010. The midfielder retired from international duty with the Spanish squad after the 2014 World Cup, having won 133 caps and scored 3 goals for his country.

It looks like he is not finished with the silverware collecting though, as Barcelona are favourites to win La Liga at odds of 1/ 4, and are also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Speculation

With his contract expiring this summer and Enrique’s change of direction for the team, it always looked likely that Xavi would leave Catalonia.

The midfielder had been linked with many moves, such as making a similar move to former-Barcelona and Spain teammate David Villa to the MLS.

However, it seems it is the Qatari club Al Sadd who have won the race to sign the Spanish midfielder and they are reportedly set to pay him £7million a year for his services, which is a decent payday at the backend of his career.

Loss

Xavi leaving Barcelona will be a Sadd loss to European football (see what I did there, just could not resist!). It almost feels like Xavi has decided that he no longer wants to be in the limelight and he will play out his remaining playing days in the low-profile Qatari league.

Had he moved to MLS he would have received more media coverage and he would have still been major news. Maybe the midfielder now wants a quiet life.

Era Ending

The great Barcelona team built under Guardiola is slowly evolving into something else. Gone are the likes of Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes. Xavi looks set to join them in their Catalan exile.

However, with a few months left of the season there is still time for the Spanish midfielder to help his club to yet more silverware to add to his burgeoning collection.

No doubt Barcelona fans will feel like this is the end of an era, as one of their most loyal servants leaves the club this summer. I am sure the midfielder will leave with every Barcelona fans appreciation for such sterling service to their club.

Is it the right time for Xavi to leave Barcelona?