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8 months ago
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Ahead of a very busy summer transfer window, Barcelona are already dealing with a huge task on their hands trying to sort out the managerial position for next season.
Current head coach, Xavi, has announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.
And while Barcelona spent the last few weeks trying to convince him and also publicly requesting him to change his mind, it seems they will have to take their search outside the club eventually.
That is because Xavi is said to be exhausted after a very tedious two-and-a-half seasons as coach of Barcelona. He is also unhappy with the changes being imposed on him and his coaching staff as a condition to continue.
As such, SPORT have reported that apart from the three names that have been in the shortlist for a while in the form of Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel, and Roberto De Zerbi, Barcelona have shortlisted three new names and made contacts with them.
1. Ralf Rangnick
Currently the coach of the Austrian National Team, Ralf Rangnick is the most experienced of the three names at 65, and has enjoyed successful tenures at Schalke, RB Leipzig, and Stuttgart in the past.
His brief spell at Manchester United, though, marred his reputation but Rangnick has done a solid job with Austria so far, winning 12 and drawing three games out of the 20 he has coached.
The Austrian manager has been strongly linked with the Bayern Munich job, and has confirmed that the Bavarians have already made contact with him.
2. Arne Slot
On Barcelona’s radar. (Photo by MAURICE VAN STEEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Hailing from the Eredivisie, Arne Slot is another man that seems to have popped up on Barcelona’s radar owing to his impressive work with Feyenoord this season.
His side are currently sitting second in the Dutch league, nine points behind PSV Eindhoven, but have lost only two games all season while winning 22 out of 30.
The 45-year-old is the favourite to take over the Liverpool gig if rumours are to be believed, with the Reds having made contacts with him already.
3. Andoni Iraola
The youngest of the three, Andoni Iraola currently coaches Bournemouth, and has done an excellent job with the Cherries, guiding them to a midtable position against all odds.
Iraola has not only overperformed with his squad in the Premier League, but he has also implemented a quick and exciting brand of football in the squad that has caught the eye of several top teams in Europe.
And while he may not have experience at the top level, Iraola also did a commendable job with Rayo Vallecano for three years before eventually leaving for England last summer.
