Premier League Trio Given Hope In Xavi Chase As Barca Talks Stall Again

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Premier League clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have been given fresh hope of signing EURO 2008 star Xavi from La Liga giants Barcelona Xavi after talks about a new deal at the Nou Camp for the midfielder stalled again.

28-year-old Xavi is a product of the Barca youth set-up and has been at the Catalan club since 1991, but has not been able to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp, with the Spanish International’s current contract due to run out in 2010.

It is understood that there have been more than 10 meeting between Xavi and the Catalan club, but the two parties are still unable to come to an agreement, with the Spanish International seeking parity with top-earners Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry at the Nou Camp.

Director of football at Barcelona, Txiki Begiristain has admitted that the deal could take weeks or months to conclude and insisted that this type of deal is not easy to close.

Begiristain said: “Xavi is a great player and has some large expectations. In the world of the football it is not easy to close this type of contract because of the length of the deal and the need to keep a salary equilibrium of the staff.

“If it was easy the deal would already be done.”

However, Xavi’s agent Ivan Corretja revealed recently that the talks will not be allowed to go on forever and confirmed the interest in Xavi by clubs from the Premiership.

Corretja, told The Daily Star recently: “We have not been able to solve the situation at Barcelona, despite some months of negotiations. We feel he should be offered a deal which reflects his performances on the pitch.

“Everybody at Barcelona knows that there are some big European clubs interested in Xavi, particularly in England at the moment, and we will not allow this to go on forever.”

With 18 months remaining on Xavi’s current contract at Barcelona, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is monitoring the situation at the Nou Camp, with an offer in the region of £20million being mooted in the January transfer window to bring Xavi to Old Trafford. However, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also keen to pair Xavi with countryman Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates Stadium, with Liverpool also reportedly interested in bringing the central-midfielder to Anfield.