Barcelona will ‘not be able to sign’ in the January transfer window as director Jordi Cruyff says the club ‘deserves one last hug’ to Lionel Messi for a return while Pep Guardiola can ‘choose his own destiny’
Barcelona sporting adviser Jordi Cruyff said the club was unable to sign players in January and discussed Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola rumours.
Cruyff, the son of Barca and footballing legend Johan, joined the Catalan club last year after the return of president Joan Laporta.
Cruyff sat down with RAC 1 to discuss the state of Barcelona
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And it’s not good news for those hoping for Xavi’s winter boost
The president’s new reign began when the club was announced to be £1.2billion in debt, before financial maneuvers saw a rocky summer in the transfer market.
The club is now back at the top of La Liga and starting to look re-energized, but exiting from the group stage of the Champions League dealt a worrying blow.
Much of Barcelona’s summer spending was based on a deep run in the lucrative competition, but after back-to-back early exits their spending spree for the current season appears to be over.
“Right now we can’t sign in the winter market,” Cruyff said in an interview with RAC 1.
“It’s not about selling a single player, it’s more complicated than that. »
The Spanish giants have undergone major changes in recent years, moving on from managers, while losing key players such as Luis Suarez and more recently Gerard Pique.
FC Barcelona
Messi could not hold back his tears when he announced his departure from Barca in 2021
More important than all those departures, however, is the club’s greatest player, Lionel Messi, who bid a tearful farewell in the summer of 2021 as financial constraints prevented him from signing new contract.
Now at Paris Saint-Germain with a contract set to expire in the summer of 2023, Barca have been linked, despite strong reports that they are heading to MLS side Inter Miami.
On Messi, Cruyff said: “There has to be a strategy.
“Obviously we miss the last hug between a big club and a player. They both deserve it. »
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Messi and Guardiola led Barca to their greatest stage
He was also asked about a potential return for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who left the club after a trophy-laden four-year spell in 2012.
“There are very few coaches who have reached the level of being able to choose their destiny,” said Cruyff. “This is his case.
“Should he return to Barca? It depends on the situation. »
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