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Xavi has disclosed that he was unsuccessful in his bid to bring Luis Diaz to Barcelona while serving as the club's manager.
The Colombian departed Liverpool for Bayern Munich last summer after being unable to reach an agreement on enhanced terms at Anfield. Barcelona had also shown interest in the winger, with Liverpool rejecting the Spanish club's enquiry in June as the Merseyside club maintained he was not available for purchase.
That position subsequently shifted when Diaz expressed his desire to seek pastures new, with Bayern's relentless pursuit eventually securing success for the German team. While Barcelona were unsuccessful in landing the 28-year-old's services, this summer marked was not the first time the Spanish team had failed to sign the winger.
Xavi has now disclosed that he viewed Diaz as a "priority" acquisition during his tenure at Camp Nou, though acknowledged a transfer proved "impossible" due to Barcelona's dire financial circumstances.
"It (our interest in Diaz) was real, but the economic situation was woeful," he told Gol Caracol. "(It was) very difficult for us at that time.
"It was one of the priorities for the staff, yes, (and) for me when I was the coach, but it was impossible. (He is) a world class footballer, capable of making a difference. A winger with blazing speed, a goalscorer, an assist-maker, and a hard worker."
Xavi assumed control as Barcelona's manager in November 2021, two months prior to Diaz's arrival at Liverpool from Porto. The Spanish manager guided the Catalans to the La Liga crown during the 2022-23 campaign, but departed the following summer after a season without silverware.
Barcelona was consistently touted as a suitor for Diaz during his spell at Anfield, with the winger famously being a childhood admirer of the Catalan giants.
While Xavi may regret not securing the Colombian's signature during his tenure at Camp Nou, Barcelona sporting director Deco has recently explained why the club failed in its attempts to land the attacker last summer.
"Looking at last season's squad, we were missing something there (in attack)," he told Mundo Deportivo. "We thought Ansu (Fati) would fill that role.
"He started pre-season well, but then things didn't go his way, and he also suffered injuries that made things very difficult for him. He could play on the left wing and as a number nine, providing those solutions. But we lacked that profile in the squad.
"Luis Diaz fit this, Rashford fit, and then it's a matter of negotiation. On the other side, there's a club, and they're at a very high level. You're talking about Liverpool and United. With Diaz, Liverpool were pretty tough from the first minute, refusing to sell him.
"It's even more complicated that way, just like if they come to us and we don't want to put a player on the market. Luis's move, it turned out, would be impossible. These are market factors, but there's no such thing as a plan A, B, or C, although the press thinks it's normal.
"When we analyse the players, we know what they can contribute. From there, the negotiations will lead you to get what you're looking for, or not, but the profile was defined."
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