Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Xavi demands four signings at Barca, Former teammate told Laporta to let Messi leave and more - 2 November 2021

Barcelona played their first game since the sacking of Ronald Koeman on Saturday against Alaves over the weekend. It was Sergi Barjuan's first match in charge as interim manager and they will now square off against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday night. The Catalans are also actively searching for a new permanent manager.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 2 November 2021.

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Sergio Aguero out for three months

FC Barcelona v Deportivo Alaves - LaLiga Santander

After being forced off the field during Barcelona's draw against Alaves, Sergio Aguero will now be unavailable for three months. The club confirmed this via a statement on their website.

"The first team player Sergio Agüero has been subjected to a diagnostic and therapeutic process by Dr. Josep Brugada. He is unavailable for selection and during the next three months the effectiveness of treatment will be evaluated in order to determine his recovery process."

After joining the Catalans in the summer, Aguero was not available for more than two months due to a calf injury. He has only made five appearances for the club this term and is now set to miss out on a major chunk of the campaign.

Xavi demands four signings if he is to become manager

Manchester United v Liverpool - Premier League

The Xavi-Barcelona saga seems likely to be stretched out for a fair while. As per Spanish publication El Nacional, the current Al-Sadd manager has produced a list of four top players he wants signed up at Barcelona.

The four players are Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, Manchester United's Paul Pogba, RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo and Sevilla's Jules Kounde. Dani Olmo is a La Masia product and is reportedly keen on returning to Barcelona.

Paul Pogba's current contract expires next summer and he is set to become a free agent. He is unlikely to sign a contract extension and would thus be a feasible signing. However, neither Haaland nor Kounde will come for cheap and given Barcelona's recent financial troubles, signing them seems almost impossible.

Gerard Pique told Joan Laporta to let Messi leave Barcelona

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid CF - La Liga Santander

SPORT's director Lluis Mascaro (via Forbes) has made the bold claim that Gerard Pique played a hand in forcing Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona this summer. Messi is reportedly aware of the fact that Pique played a role in the Catalans deciding to part ways with him this summer. Mascaro said:

"Messi knows that Pique told Laporta that if Messi left [the club] nothing [bad] would happen."

Interestingly enough, in Messi's recent interview with Sport he was asked if he keeps in touch with his former teammates and he omitted Pique's name.

"Yes. I speak often with [Sergio] Kun Aguero, who was not a teammate but is a great friend. [And I also speak] with Busi [Sergio Busquets], [and] with Jordi Alba often [too]."

In the same interview, Messi hit back at Barcelona president Joan Laporta's inappropriate comments over his departure. Laporta had said in an interview with RAC 1 that he wished Messi would play for free. The Argentine hit back by saying the club hadn't requested him to do that.

"The truth is that, as I explained on my way out, I did everything possible to stay, never at any time was I asked to play for free. I was asked to cut my salary by 50 per cent and I did it without any problem. We were in a position to help the club more. The desire of me and my family was to stay in Barcelona.

"Nobody asked me to play for free but at the same time, it seems to me that the words said by the president are out of place. They hurt me because I think he doesn't need to say that, it's like getting the ball off you and not assuming its consequences, or taking charge of things.

"This makes people think or generates a type of doubt that I think I do not deserve."