Barcelona boss Xavi says he holds no ill will towards for choosing to move to Inter Miami, while he outright rejected suggestions the Catalan club are targeting Neymar.
On Wednesday evening, Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain – whose Paris Saint-Germain deal expires at the end of the month – announced he had .
Barca had been over a sensational return to Camp Nou, but Xavi says he understands his former team-mate’s decision to leave the European limelight and move to MLS.
Asked about Messi’s decision, Xavi told on Thursday: ‘In the last few days and weeks, I had noticed that he didn’t see a return to Barcelona so clearly.
‘You have to understand that being Messi is not easy. Everyone is interested in you and he never gets any peace.
‘Leo explained his decision, that he has been unhappy for the past two years. I can understand that he doesn’t want to have so much pressure on him anymore.
‘I have spoken a lot with Messi [about a return] and we were all excited, but in the end it hasn’t happened.
‘He explained the circumstances very well, he wants a quieter and more family-orientated life. It’s Messi’s personal decision and you have to respect him because he’s the best player in history, but I was convinced we would do well with him in the team.
‘I respect Messi and I wish him all the best. It has not been an easy situation for him, that’s clear.’
Within hours of Messi’s move to Inter Miami being announced, Barca were quickly linked with a swoop for Neymar instead – though Xavi has played down the reports.
He continued: ‘I’m surprised [by the rumours]. He’s not in our sports planning. I really like him as a person and a friend, but we have different priorities.’
Barca’s main priority in the summer window is signing a new midfielder to replace Sergio Busquets – who has been linked with a move to Miami along with Messi – and Xavi says the club will press ahead once their financial situation has been cleared up.
‘The replacement for Busquets has to be one of a very, very high level,’ he explained. ‘The pivot who comes has to win many duels, never be out of position and be physical.
‘Names like Martin Zubimendi, Joshua Kimmich and Sofyan Amrabat always appear – there are a lot of media outlets, it’s normal. What you have to do is try to decide what’s best for Barca.
‘We haven’t been able to talk to the players yet. We are having meetings to find out what we can do and when things are clear we will talk to the players we want to talk to.’
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