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Former Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández has revealed that he attempted to reunite Neymar and Pedro with Lionel Messi at the club during his time in charge.
The Spaniard, who previously alleged that Barcelona president Joan Laporta sabotaged a "done deal" to return Messi to Camp Nou before the 2023–24 season, is now expanding his account—and the list of players involved—in a story that already ignited a fierce public dispute between the World Cup winner and Laporta.
"I managed to bring back Dani Alves and tried to bring back Neymar, Pedro and Messi when I was coach," Xavi said during a conversation with Brazilian football legend Romário.
"Pedro and Neymar couldn't return due to the club's financial constraints, and Messi because the current Barça president didn't want him. There was a window of opportunity with Neymar, but that fell through as well. It collapsed because of our extremely difficult financial situation. Financial Fair Play was placing severe restrictions on us, and then there were those notorious wage structures."
The Catalans' ongoing financial difficulties, compounded by their trophy-free 2019–20 campaign, had left Barcelona at "its lowest point in history," according to Xavi, who took the reins in November 2021 and ultimately guided his former side to two pieces of silverware.
One can only wonder how far Barcelona might have gone had Xavi's ambitions to reunite Messi, Neymar and Pedro been realized. Instead of chasing former glories, however, the club shifted its focus toward building a new generation.
Xavi Reflects on Building Much of Barcelona's Current Squad
Hansi Flick deserves considerable credit for steering Barcelona back to dominance in Spain, and rightly so. The German manager claimed a domestic treble in his first season on the bench and is now guiding his squad toward a successful La Liga title defense.
However, many of the key figures who have flourished under Flick's management—including Raphinha, Pedri and Lamine Yamal—developed significantly during the Xavi era, something the Spaniard takes great pride in.
"We left a legacy of young players who are now the backbone of this team," Xavi said. "We laid a solid foundation that Flick, through his outstanding work, is now building upon."
"I signed Raphinha. I pushed the club to bring him in. I had already wanted him when I was in Portugal. I gave him a great deal of confidence. If he hadn't delivered, I would have moved him on. I had a heart-to-heart with him when he was frustrated. I told him to stay patient, that he was still young, and now he's truly come into his own. He's a leader."
Regarding Yamal, Xavi reserved his highest praise for the young star. "Yamal can be compared to Messi. He is one of the chosen ones; everything depends on him, his mindset, and his hunger to make history. He can be the best in the world. He is already among them."
Xavi Once Again Hits Out at Laporta Over Messi's Failed Return
Xavi was keen to stress that he left no stone unturned in his efforts to bring Messi back to Barcelona following the 2022 World Cup.
"Messi was the greatest. There will never be anyone better than him," the 46-year-old said. "He is an incredibly humble and dedicated person. I saw it when I was 16; he was completely different from everyone else."
"I have a very strong relationship with him. I tried to sign him for Barça. I spoke with him for five months; everything was in place, but the current president of Barça said no."
The remarks echo his earlier statement: "The president began negotiating the contract with Leo's father, and we had La Liga's approval, but it was the president who threw everything out."
Laporta has denied the accusations. Regardless of the ongoing dispute between the two, the end result saw Messi join Inter Miami after departing Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent, denying what would have been one of the most momentous returns in football history, both on and off the field.