Xavi has made a bold prediction over who he thinks will win the Champions League this season.
The Barcelona head coach was in light hearted mood, ahead of their midweek La Liga clash with Osasuna, as the Catalans edge towards a first league title since 2019.
Osasuna’s trip to the Camp Nou comes just days before their Copa del Rey final clash against Real Madrid and Xavi cheekily hinted that he would be backing Jagoba Arrasate’s underdogs in the final.
The former midfielder was also asked about the incoming Champions League semifinals, with Real Madrid facing his old mentor Pep Guardiola, and Manchester City.
City are on course for a potential treble of major trophies this season, not seen in English football since Manchester United’s iconic success in 1999, and Xavi thinks history is beckoning for them.
“For me, it’s fair (for City to win the treble). They are the best team in the world, with the best coach. For us, City are a mirror,” as per reports from Marca.
City head to Madrid for the first leg on May 9 before welcoming the defending European champions to Manchester eight days later.
Arsenal already have the next Charlie Patino as transfer decision made
Charlie Patino looks set to leave Arsenal on a permanent basis this summer but the Gunners have a wealth of other talented young midfielders in their academy ranks
It seems that Charlie Patino is set to depart Arsenal this summer.
David Ornstein of the Athletic broke the news that Patino is unwilling to head out on loan again next season, keen to play consistent minutes, something he is unlikely to be afforded in north London next term. The Gunners are open to facilitating the teenager's wishes and football.londonhas come to learn that it is very much a timing issue regarding Patino given Mikel Arteta's side are keen to bolster their options in the middle of the park during the summer transfer window.
This means that the 19-year-old just wouldn't be afforded the game time that he is craving, making a permanent exit a sensible solution for all parties. Patino's proposed exit initially seems like a big blow for Arsenal considering how highly Arteta has spoken of him in the past but the club's Hale End academy has a wealth of other midfield options coming through, most notably Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Lewis-Skelly is a special talent, possessing a rare blend of elite ball-carrying, intelligent movement and remarkable physical prowess despite being just 16 years old. Clips have gone viral of the talented teenager darting past opposition midfielders, elegantly knocking the ball past his peers who can't get near him when running at full speed.
That kind of talent resulted in him making his debut for Arsenal's Under-18 side when he was just 14 and he was a key member of Jack Wilshere's team to reach the final of the FA Youth Cup this season, netting the winner against Manchester City in the dying embers of the semi-final. Wilshere himself then admitted that Lewis-Skelly was 'unplayable' at times, high praise indeed for one of the best talents to come out of the club's famed academy setup.
The youngster typically is utilised as a number six or number eight, where he can roam in midfield but he can also be deployed as a left-back, where U21s boss Mehmet Ali utilised him back in January. Wilshere told The Athletic: “I don’t think he’ll be a left-back; he’ll be a midfielder.
"But if we give him a little bit of everything (it will help). It’s important for him. You look at our first team and the way football’s going with players like Oleksandr Zinchenko, the full-back has to be able to play inside.”
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