Barcelona are set to seal the contract renewal of La Liga-winning Manager Xavi Hernandez, with the final handshake to come.
The Catalan boss has ‘earned it due to his work as a manager’, according to new Sporting Director Deco. MD claim that Xavi and his agent Fernando Solanas will meet with the club in the coming 24-48 hours in order to agree on his contract renewal.
It is believed that Xavi will only renew his deal for a further 12 months, extending his contract until 2025. The reasons given are that Barcelona’s salary limit will be stretched less by a shorter renewal, while Xavi and President Joan Laporta have an easy out if things decline over the next two seasons.
Part of the reason talks have been held up, they were first mentioned in March, is that Xavi has also been demanding pay rises for his technical staff proportional to his own increase.
The club, Xavi and Deco have gone out of their way to emphasize the strong friendship that unites the former midfielders, in an attempt to dismiss stories that the two are not in lockstep. Naturally, how long this remains the case will be proven over time.