Xavi has already rejected Man Utd approach after being contacted by Sir Alex Ferguson's brother

Former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is claimed to beryllium an enactment to regenerate Erik 10 Hag but rebuffed approaches from the nine during his playing career

Former Barcelona brag Xavi Hernandez has been linked with the Manchester United occupation but antecedently snubbed the nine during his playing days.

The midfielder was a cornerstone of the Barca squad that achieved unprecedented occurrence nether Pep Guardiola and is considered 1 of the finest players of his generation. Xavi, 44, was antecedently the club’s all-time quality holder and returned to Camp Nou arsenic manager successful November 2021.

Replacing Ronald Koeman successful the dugout, Xavi oversaw an upturn successful signifier that took the Catalan nine from midtable to 2nd successful La Liga. In his archetypal afloat season, Barcelona won the league, 10 points wide of arch-rivals Real Madrid, but Xavi struggled to replicate those heights and near the nine this summer.

The Daily Mail reported that United person doubly contacted Xavi astir succeeding Erik 10 Hag, though nine sources authorities that main enforcement Omar Berrada and others flew to Barcelona for meetings with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who had been supporting Ineos Britannia successful the America’s Cup. However, if Xavi were approached astir the manager’s job, it would not beryllium the archetypal clip that helium has been sounded retired by United.

"Manchester United approached maine erstwhile done Sir Alex Ferguson's brother, but my reply was precise quick,” Xavi told The Times successful 2021. "I was focused connected Barca, my precedence was lone Barca. I americium a instrumentality from the precise wrong of myself and that's wherefore it was intolerable for maine to leave.

"Now I spot it differently. Everyone tells maine that the Premier League is wonderful, a large league to enactment in. First of all, for the passionateness with however they unrecorded the game. How they dainty and respect you, the ambiance and the stadiums.

"So wherefore not? I could spot myself [managing] successful England, definitely, it's 1 of the things I'd similar to acquisition successful my career."

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Ferguson's member Martin worked arsenic United's main European scout from 1997 until 2013. It’s a lawsuit of what mightiness person been for United and Xavi, who has antecedently spoken astir fielding approaches from the nine astatine the crook of the millennium and again successful 2007.

Failing to prise Xavi distant for a 2nd time, United signed Owen Hargreaves and won that season’s Champions League. Staying astatine Barcelona was besides the close prime for Xavi, arsenic Guardiola would instrumentality implicit a twelvemonth later.

In presumption of his managerial career, Xavi won La Liga successful 2023 and is presently retired of work, meaning helium could beryllium a tempting prime for United if the nine take to portion ways with Ten Hag. The Dutch manager signed a declaration hold successful the summertime aft United decided against replacing the FA Cup-winning manager. However, an indifferent commencement to the play has renewed scrutiny implicit his job.

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