He did not recommend him due to conflicts, the player to whom Dembélé said no

In the previous transfer market, Barcelona was very active in order to strengthen its squad for the current season. Xavi Hernández worked together with the technical secretariat to choose in the best way who can arrive at the Catalunia club and who leaves. One of the positions that the former player was most in need of was right back, the one that Dani Alves once held. Jules Koundé has already made it clear that he does not want to play in that position and that started looking for someone in that position.

In the end, the Spanish club was able to arrange the loan of Joao Cancelo, from Manchester City, an operation that has proven to be a success. The footballer gave him defensive solidity and great support in attack since his arrival at the Camp Nou. His qualities and experiences in high-level leagues have been a great asset for Xavi Hernández's team.

The performance of the right back ended up silencing the murmurs that were generated by the initial concerns about the right back position in Barcelona. In the end he ended up adapting quickly to the team and was of great support in both phases of the game, making him an outstanding signing for the club. That gave Xavi satisfaction.

However, there was a player that Lionel Messi's former teammate wanted to sign and asked Ousmane Dembélé for a recommendation when he was in the Spanish squad before leaving for PSG. But the Frenchman did not recommend it for certain reasons. Despite Dembélé's recommendation, the player they wanted opted to join Inter Milan during the summer, arriving as a free agent. This choice left Barcelona searching for a suitable alternative for the right-back position.

The player who did not come to Barcelo because of Dembélé

The current coach thought of the name Benjamin Pavard. However, the final decision made by Xavi Hernández was influenced by the opinion of the French players in the locker room, in particular, that of Ousmane Dembélé. As reported by Javi Miguel on Catalunya Ràdio's 'Barça Reservat' program, Dembélé advised against hiring Pavard due to his history of conflicts and his propensity to generate tensions in the locker room environment.