In the space of less than 24 hours, Xavi and Joan Laporta have both made it clear that Barcelona want to strengthen their squad in January, beyond the arrival of Vitor Roque.

In fact, the Barcelona board of directors would be willing to finance the signing of a player. The idea of the club is that the Libero investment fund is activated before 31 December, the contractual deadline, and injects 40 million euros, but if this does not happen, the directors will have to dig deep into their pockets again.

Irrespective of If the deal goes through, the Terrassa-born coach will be in charge, because the board will keep him in the job until June, no matter what happens.

Joan Laporta is very clear that Xavi is the ideal coach for Los Cules and that the coach, hand in hand with the players, will reverse the current situation, marked by inconsistent play and poor results. The board is not considering a replacement on the bench.

The only option for this not to be the case is if the coach himself decides to leave, something, that at present, looks unlikely because the former midfielder has acknowledged on countless occasions that he sees himself capable of righting the course of Barcelona's season.

In the event of his unexpected departure, Laporta and his directors would entrust the team to Rafa Marquez.

Barcelona are looking at a specific type of midfielder

To help overcome the current situation, Xavi will see his dressing room reinforced in January with Vitor Roque, who will not have any problems being registered. But more players could arrive.

A defensive midfielder, they want a counterpoint to the players in the squad, who would arrive backed by the Board if Libero does not pay the 40 million euros pending.

The coaches are very clear that they are looking for a player like Gavi, but they are aware of the difficulty of finding one. They want an intense, aggressive player who knows LaLiga EA Sports, and willing to sign for only half a year, until June on loan.

Araujo will not move

As for departures, the club are convinced and sure that no one will leave in January. In fact, the players themselves do not want to leave the club.

Nobody wants to leave. Araujo, on the radar of Bayern, or Lewandowski, who is going through a weaker moment in terms of goals, although the institution is confident that he will soon return to his usual performance, will not be touched.

Two of those players who do not want to leave Barcelona are Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo. The good performance of both, moreover, has convinced the club. For weeks now, the club has had their sights set on retaining them for next season and they are serious about it.

The decision of the two Portuguese players to continue wearing the blue and white shirt is what makes the board and the executives optimistic about these operations. The Catalan club have assured the Portuguese players that they would be willing to make an economic effort to keep them at Barcelona.

Finally, Barcelona is optimistic about the resolution of the Superliga and also about the role the team will play in the Champions League. It is worth remembering that the Catalans have been drawn against Napoli in the round of 16, with the return leg at home.

Summit in Antwerp

Laporta trusts Xavi and the squad, especially after the meeting they held in Antwerp, after the fiasco in the Champions League.

The president went down to the dressing room and spoke to the players. He admitted that the defeat against Girona hurt him, but he saw the players very committed. And he sees them capable of fighting for all the titles.