Barcelona boss Xavi has backed Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani’s bid for Manchester United and insists the Qatari would do a “good job.” Sheikh Jassim put forward an offer to take over the Red Devils ahead of last Friday’s soft deadline, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe also submitting a bid.

Xavi finished his playing career in Qatar after spending four years with Al-Sadd. After hanging up his boots in the summer of 2019, the 43-year-old then took over as the club’s manager and led the team for 16 months before taking charge of Barcelona.

And after being asked for his thoughts on Sheikh Jassim’s proposed takeover of United on Tuesday, Xavi said: “I have a good relationship with the Sheikh. He is a serious, responsible person and I think he would do a good job. I know him well. He’s a very good person and I think he would be a very good option for United. I worked in Qatar for six years.”

Xavi won a whole host of trophies during his time managing in the Middle East and led Al-Sadd to the Qatari title in 2021 after guiding the team to two Qatari Cups and two Qatari League Cups. But he quit his job to return to take the helm at the Nou Camp in November 2021, with Barcelona in turmoil.

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