Barcelona boss Xavi urged to raid Man Utd for Cristiano Ronaldo in surprise transfer twist

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Former Barcelona presidential candidate Toni Freixa has urged new boss Xavi to pursue an unlikely move for Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo in order to help the Catalan giants rescue their status as one of Europe’s top sides. Xavi was confirmed as Barcelona’s new manager on a deal until 2024 last week after a severance package was agreed with Al-Sadd to bring him back to Spain.

The 41-year-old will now be tasked with reviving Barcelona’s desperate La Liga title bid that already looks to be all but over.

The five-time European champions currently sit ninth in the league table, 11 points adrift of bitter rivals and early leaders Real Madrid.

Barcelona have experienced a gradual decline over the last few years which appears to have accelerated in the wake of Lionel Messi’s unexpected departure in pre-season.

They have endured a lacklustre start to the campaign, with former boss Ronald Koeman managing just four wins in La Liga and taking just six points from four Champions League group stage outings.

However, the faith of Barcelona president Joan Laporta now lies firmly with Xavi as they look to salvage their season over the remaining weeks and months.

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It seems as though the pair will be looking to mount a fruitful recruitment drive in the January transfer window in order to bolster the club’s ranks ahead of the La Liga run-in.

Barcelona’s ongoing financial struggles plagued their efforts in the market over the summer, but Freixa has suggested that a big-money approach for a certain Real Madrid legend could be the perfect move for Xavi at the turn of the year.

The 53-year-old, who lost out to Laporta in Barcelona’s presidential election earlier this year, told La Porteria that a plan to raid United for Ronaldo should be considered despite the slim chance of such a move coming to fruition.

“Ronaldo to Barca? If there is ever a time to do this madness, it is now,” said Freixa.

It does, of course, seem highly unlikely that Ronaldo would ever consider the possibility of joining Barcelona due to his strong association with Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, United would almost certainly laugh off any enquiries for the mercurial 36-year-old, who returned to Old Trafford on a two-year deal back in August.

With a January move for Ronaldo all but off the table for Barcelona, it remains to be seen how Xavi will approach his first transfer window in charge of the club.

He declared earlier this week that he will be looking to restore order at the Nou Camp during his time at the helm, insisting that he will take inspiration from Pep Guardiola’s successful reign in his approach to the role.

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“It’s not a case of being hard on them, it’s a question of order,” Xavi told reporters.

“You have to have rules. When there have been rules things have gone well. When there haven’t been, things have gone badly. It’s crystal clear.

“At the start it is important we talk about work, values, respect, attitude, effort. If we don’t have those values we don’t have a team. We need that, then we can talk about the model.

“In my opinion, the most important thing is the rules first and then we will decide how we play. I have had a good teacher in Guardiola, of course.”

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