Barcelona are on the verge of naming their former midfielder Xavi as their new coach after his current club Al Sadd said a deal had been agreed to release him from his contract.
Al Sadd chief executive Turk Al-Ali tweeted the club had reached a settlement with Barcelona "after the payment of the release clause stipulated in the contract.
"We’ve agreed on cooperation with Barcelona in the future. Xavi is an important part of Al Sadd’s history and we wish him success."
Xavi, 41, will replace the departed Ronald Koeman on the bench of the Spanish giants.
The Qatar club had Xavi contracted to 2023, having named him boss at the end of his playing career in 2019, but the Barcelona-based newspaper La Vanguardia reported on intensive negotiations to secure his release.
Xavi was reported to have a five-million-euro (5.8-million-dollar) exit clause in his contract, an amount which would not trouble Barcelona even in their current perilous financial state.
