Barcelona need to fork out €5 million for Xavi, says Al-Sadd

FC Barcelona has hit a major snag in their attempt to bring Xavi Hernandez back to Spain to replace Ronald Koeman, who was sacked by the club last week.

While it appeared as though it would be a simple homecoming for the legendary Barcelona midfielder who is now looking to become the club's manager, things have now gotten a bit more complicated. Xavi expressed his desire to manage his boyhood club, but the problem is that he is currently employed by Al-Sadd and his employers are not going to let go of him easily especially not in the middle of the Qatar Stars League season.

Al-Sadd released a statement last week reminding Barcelona that Xavi is currently in the middle of a league title defence and he is contracted to the Qatar-based club for two years. However, they welcomed the Barcelona delegation this week in an act of good faith.

Now, Marca has revealed that instead of a projected 1 million euro fee, Al-Sadd has actually asked for at least €5 million for the Spaniard's release.

Barcelona are now starting to realise that the appointment will not go over as quickly as they had hoped. Xavi had personally approached his employers about his desire to move, but it seems that Al-Sadd want what is due to them.

It is said that meetings have been taking place throughout Thursday between the Blaugrana contingent and Al-Sadd representatives. For now, the only solution on the table is a straight-out buyout clause that Barcelona needs to pay.

This hardly seems unfair, since Xavi is indeed contracted to Al-Sadd until 2023. After all, it is not the Qatar side's problem if Barcelona is facing a financial crisis that is making it difficult for them to cough up the cash. No team would appreciate having their manager plucked out of the bench in the middle of the season, and Barcelona need to make it worthwhile for Al-Sadd.

Another meeting is set to take place on Friday, with the Catalans eager to find a more favourable compromise. Rafa Yuste and Mateu Alemany travelled without club president Joan Laporta, but the latter is being kept informed about the situation. It's a very important mission for the pair, who have been tasked to bring back a new manager as soon as possible.

Laporta will also be on edge after failing to find a way to keep Lionel Messi last summer. This time, he needs to bring another club legend back, and over-confidence in the situation smells a lot like the whole Messi debacle just a few months ago. It will be seen as another massive failure on his presidency if he fails to make the move happen.

Barcelona will be facing Celta Vigo in La Liga this weekend, and it is now becoming clear that interim manager Sergi Barjuan will remain in charge for now.

The Catalans are hoping that Friday's meetings will be fruitful, as the club needs a big boost as soon as possible. They want the new manager to be presented next week, but no one has mentioned an alternative in case negotiations with Al-Sadd fall through.