Barcelona director and president in disagreement about new coach, plans to contact Klopp this week

The summer transfer market of 2024 is going to one of the most hectic ones Barcelona will ever endure. Not only do they have to bring in players that will plug holes in various positions on the pitch, but also offload some assets to raise money through player sales.

And if that was not enough of an uphill task, Xavi’s decision to leave the club at the end of the season has stirred the pot quite a bit. The Catalans now also need to find the perfect long-term replacement for the Spaniard in the summer.

While there are several names on the list, there seems to be little to no unanimous agreement within Barcelona fans about who should replace Xavi at the helm.

It seems this disagreement has even reached the Barcelona offices, with Javi Miguel reporting that president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco are in disagreement about who the next coach should be.

Laporta prefers to bring in Hansi Flick, who is out of a job after getting sacked from the German National Team, while Deco prefers the services of Porto coach Conceicao, who is set to leave the Portuguese giants at the end of the season.

The German road

The report suggests that Laporta is insistent on bringing in a manager from the German school of football. Someone who can increase efficiency in the team and bring out the best out of all players in a different way.

The names of Thomas Tuchel (Bayern Munich) and Julian Nagelsmann (German NT) are also on his radar, along with Jürgen Klopp, who he plans on contacting in the coming weeks.

That dream is farfetched, though, as the German manager insists on taking a year-long sabbatical, at least.

A shortlist is forming

While still a few months away from officially completing any moves, the shortlist for the new Barcelona manager is becoming increasingly clear.

The names of Spanish tacticians such as Mikel Arteta, Imanol Alguacil, and Michel, among others, are not on it right now. The idea to promote Rafael Marquez has also been discarded.

The top two names are clear, though, in Flick and Conceicao.