“They just need wingers” — Xavi names Sancho and Gnabry among his potential Barcelona targets

Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi has said Jadon Sancho and Serge Gnabry would be among the players he’d look to sign if he returned to the club as manager.

The metronomic passer left the Nou Camp in 2015 with 767 appearances and 15 major honours under his belt for the Blaugrana, departing for Qatari club Al Sadd.

Could Sancho join Barcelona? Five things to know…

• Sancho left Man City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
• Since then, he’s notched 31 goals and 42 assists across 90 appearances for the German club.
• His form has seen him linked with a number of European giants, including Man Utd.
• Xavi has been linked with the Barcelona manager’s job.
• And the Spaniard says Sancho, Gnabry and Neymar would be among his targets should he one day get the job.

Xavi has since taken to the dugout for the Stars League side but with Ernesto Valverde dismissed of his duties earlier this season and replacement Quique Setien struggling to make his mark, the Spaniard has been linked with a return to Barca as manager and reportedly rejected the role as recently as January.

The 40-year-old has claimed he is now ready to take the job now, but only if there were no “toxic” players in the dressing room, while he did highlight Sancho, Gnabry and a certain Brazilian ex-teammate of his as potential targets should he return.

“I am clear that I want to return to Barcelona, it gives me a lot of excitement,” he told La Vanguardia. “Now that I have seen myself coaching I think I can bring things to the players.

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“But I made it clear to them that I saw myself in a project that started from zero and in which the decision-making was mine.”

“I would like to work with people I trust, with very valid people there is mutual loyalty. There can’t be anyone toxic around the dressing room.”

On potential transfer targets, he added: “I would sign wingers, like Neymar – I don’t know if he would fit in due to the social issue, but football-wise I have no doubts it would be a spectacular signing.

“They just need wingers like Bayern [Munich] They don’t need many new players: maybe Jadon Sancho, Serge Gnabry…”