Barcelona’s brightest stars would be mad to leave Xavi’s side now

If the win over Real Madrid told us anything, it was that Xavi Hernandez is exactly the right man for Barcelona at exactly the right time.

Confidence and performance levels have been building over the past couple of months and the Clasico annihilation wasn’t really a surprise.

The season may or may not end with silverware but the club and squad are definitely heading in the right direction.

Which makes it imperative for the club to tie down the likes of Ronald Araujo, Gavi and Ousmane Dembele.

Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images

It really shouldn’t be a difficult decision for two of the trio. Both Gavi and Araujo have espoused the desire to remain at Camp Nou so what’s the hold up?

This shouldn’t be a decision about money. Anyone with half a brain can see that Xavi is building European football’s most exciting young side.

Dembele is a slightly different kettle of fish but he too should look at the evidence in front of him rather than the euros.

All three only need look at how quickly Ilaix Moriba’s career has taken a nosedive because he put money before progression and education.

It will start to sound like a very hollow promise indeed if Gavi and Ronald Araujo don’t put pen to paper soon.

Both they and Dembele are playing some of the best football of their careers in a system they know well and for a club who consider them the future.

Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images

Xavi has already shown his ruthlessness, as has Joan Laporta. Both to their absolute credit it must be said.

No more double meanings, misunderstandings or otherwise.

Players know exactly where they stand and if that’s not good enough for them then, frankly, I’ll pack their bags for them.

At this stage of our reinvention, only players that want to play for Barça should be given the honour of defending the badge.

There are only a couple of months before Dembele is a free signing for someone and Gavi’s contract is up.

Time is of the essence, so there’s no room for posturing or prevarication.

They should be made to watch the Clásico back again. That’s as good a performance as Barça have had in years against a Real Madrid side that were supposedly one of the best teams in Europe.

Will a few thousand extra euros really replace that sort of feeling most weeks?