Revealed: Xavi threatened to resign if Barcelona sanctioned Ronald Araujo sale to Bayern Munich before announcing exit at end of season

The Bavarian's pursuit of Araujo from Barcelona was the worst-kept secret during the January transfer window. Bayern were willing to invest €80 million (£69m/$88m) in the talented centre-back as Thomas Tuchel happens to be a huge admirer of the defender.

According to The Athletic, Barcelona's coach, Xavi remained adamant about holding on to the defender and threatened to resign if Araujo was sold. Bayern was left with no choice but to shift focus to other targets and ultimately opted for a more cost-effective and short-term solution by securing Eric Dier from Tottenham Hotspur on a six-month loan, with an option for an additional full season.

Tuchel is so fascinated with the defender that he reportedly had a call with Araujo to convince him to make a move to Germany. Bayern had hoped that a cash-strapped Barcelona would ultimately give in to the financial package on offer but Xavi had other ideas.

Bayern's pursuit of Dier highlights the influence of Harry Kane, who advocated for his longtime teammate in discussions with manager Tuchel. He has made two Bundesliga appearances since joining the reigning German champions and would hope to keep his place against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Xavi will look to guide his troops to a victory against Alaves away from home in a league fixture to reduce the 10-point gap with leaders Real Madrid.