Joan Laporta wants Barcelona superstar to leave in January amid interest from MLS side Inter Miami: Reports 

As per Sport (via El Nacional), Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants Gerard Pique gone in January amid interest in the player from Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs.

Pique has fallen down the pecking order for Xavi Hernandez's side. The arrivals of Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen during the summer transfer window have seen his game time reduced this term.

The centre-back has played only nine games so far this season and his performances have been far from convincing. The club also need to free up space on their wage bill to accommodate the new signings without any issue.

Hence, they want a friendly split with Pique soon. While the player's current contract runs until June of 2024, the Blaugrana are keen to offload the player as early as January.

Pique has made 615 appearances for the Catalan club, scoring 53 goals and providing 15 assists. In his prime, the centre-back formed a formidable defensive pairing with Carlos Puyol. However, the player's standards have fallen a lot in recent years.

The 35-year-old hasn't represented the national team since the 2018 FIFA World Cup. While he has been included in the 55-man preliminary team for this year's tournament, the chances of him making the final cut are slim to none.

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez eager for success in UEFA Europa League

Barcelona manager Xavi

Barcelona have been demoted to the UEFA Europa League after finishing third in their UEFA Champions League group. Xavi's side could only manage seven points from their six games.

While speaking to the media after his team's 4-2 away win against Viktoria Plzen in the final Champions League game, Xavi vowed that his team will fight to win the Europa League. He said (via AS):

“I would say we are candidates [to win] the Europa League. I understand why people will call us favorites. But last year we saw that it’s a complicated competition. It’s ended up being a beautiful Europa League with the teams that are in it and Barça is a candidate to fight for it and win.”

Frank Kessi suffered an injury during the Blaugrana's final Champions League fixture. Speaking about the same, Xavi said:

“Kessié is in a bad way and annoyed since he’s injured his hamstring. I think he was good until the injury. He was good in aerial duels, in bringing the ball out. He was unlucky with the injury.”