Barcelona had already locked down treble-winning coach as Xavi’s replacement before U-turn

Barcelona appear to have finally resolved the future of Xavi Hernandez. The Spaniard has decided to stay at Camp Nou despite announcing earlier that he would like to leave the club.

Xavi’s contract at Barcelona lasts until 2025 and it seems he is now ready to fulfil the contract. The coach’s decision to stay could go a long way in relieving at least a part of Barcelona’s problems going into the summer.

This is especially important knowing that Barcelona hadn’t made much of an effort to find a replacement for Xavi, hoping that the Spaniard would end up continuing at Camp Nou.

Hansi Flick was the number one alternative

However, as reported by Tobi Altschaffl, it appears Barcelona had already lined up a replacement, in the event of Xavi’s departure this summer.

Altschaffl adds that Hansi Flick was the number one candidate to replace Xavi at Barcelona this summer, even ahead of Rafa Marquez.

Xavi will stay at Barcelona (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

The Barça Athletic coach was regarded by many as the ideal replacement for Xavi, particularly due to his exposure to coaching the youth teams.

But it seems the Catalans had already tagged down Flick, despite worries over the language barrier and lack of exposure to Barcelona culture.

What’s next?

Nevertheless, Flick is now aware of Xavi’s decision and will look to move to other opportunities this coming summer.

After spending quite some time as a free agent, the German is finally ready to take on a new challenge. While Barcelona emerged as the ideal destination, he will have to look for offers elsewhere.

As for Marquez, the Mexican tactician is likely to continue as the head coach of Barça Athletic. He will look to strengthen his position as the future replacement option for Xavi, whose contract expires in 2025.