Former Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández has revealed that he had identified current Arsenal midfielder Martín Zubimendi as a primary transfer target during his tenure at the Spotify Camp Nou.
Barcelona had been strongly linked with the Spanish international throughout Zubimendi’s time at Real Sociedad. Interest in the player reportedly intensified following the confirmation of Sergio Busquets’ departure for Major League Soccer.
As previously mentioned, Xavi was the driving force behind this potential transfer for Barcelona.
In a recent interview with La Vanguardia, the Blaugrana legend spoke about Zubimendi, who now plays for Arsenal. Xavi admitted: “I requested the Barcelona management to sign Martín Zubimendi, but they declined. It was a financial decision; they opted for a less expensive alternative. However, we had lost Busquets… and I questioned how it was possible that we couldn’t secure Zubimendi.”
