Both the Red Bulls and reported target Xavi have thrown cold water on persistent reports the star midfielder is poised for a move from Barcelona to New York.
Speculation emerged from Europe that Xavi had been successfully recruited by Red Bulls captain and former teammate Thierry Henry to come to New York after this summer’s World Cup in Brazil. But the Spanish National Team star insists he hasn’t been in touch with Henry and hasn’t been contacted by the Red Bulls.
“Nobody has made me any proposition. I know nothing else about New York apart from that it is very cold there. Henry has not called me, nor have I spoken with him. I do not have his telephone number,’’ Xavi said, according to a translation of the Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo.
He did add: “It will be very hard for me to end my career at Barcelona. I wish, but I don’t know what will happen.’’
For their part, Red Bulls coach Mike Petke and sporting director Andy Roxburgh both insisted there’s been no dialogue with Xavi.
“Any team would want Xavi, and [Didier] Drogba as well, ” Petke said from Thursday’s MLS Superdraft in Philadelphia, referring in addition to the star striker. “Have we been flying over to Spain and meeting with him? I haven’t. If there’s a desire on his part, and he’s into it, and Red Bull would be willing do something like that…
“I know I skirted around the issue. No, as far as I know we haven’t been actively chasing down and meeting with Xavi. We’ll see how it plays out. But I haven’t been called by any representatives of his.’’
Roxburgh praised Xavi as a player, but since the midfielder just signed an extension last year – he’s under contract at Barcelona through 2016 – discussing him now is a moot point.
“Regarding Xavi – he is a wonderful player and a great person,’’ Roxburgh said. “Of course, I would love to see him at NYRBs, but he is under contract at FC Barcelona for the foreseeable future, so it is a hypothetical discussion.’’
A translation of a Sky Sport Italy report said: “The Barcelona player will almost certainly leave at the end of the season. For him MLS [is the] destination; already started negotiations with the New York Red Bull.’’
The Red Bulls’ moves and words Thursday in Philadelphia implied they may be far closer on two players they have actually had substantive talks with: Spanish centerback Armando Lozano and Venezuelan midfielder Ronald Vargas.
Roxburgh confirmed their interest in Lozano, and after the Red Bulls bypassed several highly rated centerbacks to draft right back Chris Duvall with the 22nd pick and left-sided player Eric Stevenson at No. 34, Petke admitted they were close to acquiring Lozano.
“I think you could easily read into that and justified to do so,’’ Petke said.
Vargas was a target of Red Bull coach Juan Carlos Osorio’s in 2008, before a multimillion dollar transfer to Europe. Now he’s back on the Red Bulls’ radar, though Petke admitted concerns about fitting the 27-year-old attacking midfielder into both the salary cap and their 4-4-2 system, especially on what reportedly could just be a loan from his Belgian club.
“He’s somebody been presented to us,’’ Petke said. “But you have to realize we accomplished something in a certain system. To bring in a player to play solely behind the two strikers changes the way you play. There are a lot of things that go into it.’’