Xavi doesn’t believe that Barcelona need to recruit another midfielder. The Catalan is content with his options at Camp Nou, unlike Ronald Koeman. The Dutchman was desperate to bring in a more physical midfielder, someone who could bring experience and muscle to a youthful midfield. One of the men he had his eye on, according to Mundo Deportivo, was Sevilla’s Fernando.
The Brazilian’s contract at the Sanchez-Pizjuan expires this coming summer, and Koeman viewed the 34-year-old as a potentially useful addition. The Dutchman saw Fernando as a tactically disciplined, aggressive, intelligent and technically skilled footballer, one with experience of winning titles with clubs like Porto, Manchester City, Galatasaray and Sevilla and featuring significantly in the Europa League and the Champions League.
The move never came to pass, however, and sources close to Sevilla maintain that Fernando is close to renewing his contract with the club. Julen Lopetegui views him as a pillar of his team, something he demonstrated with a fine performance during their 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
