Xavi 'wants to bring Raheem Sterling, Jules Kounde to Barcelona'

Xavi has reportedly already identified the two players that he wants to bring to Barcelona, with the Spaniard seemingly closing in on the managerial position at Camp Nou.

Barcelona sacked Ronald Koeman as head coach on Wednesday night and are believed to be determined to appoint their former midfielder, who is currently in charge of Al Sadd, as their new manager.

According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Xavi is already thinking about life at Camp Nou and has identified Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and Sevilla's Jules Kounde as transfer targets.

The report claims that Sterling is wanted to play on the left of a 4-3-3 formation, with the England international potentially available in 2022 due to his struggles at the Etihad Stadium.

Kounde, meanwhile, was strongly linked with a move away from Sevilla over the summer, with Chelsea interested in a deal, but the Frenchman was ultimately priced out of an exit.

Barcelona have been linked with a loan move for Sterling, but they could struggle to sign Kounde on a permanent deal due to their financial problems, which led to Lionel Messi leaving over the summer.