Barcelona have not directly spoken with 59-year-old top managerial candidate yet – report

Only a while back, reports from Sky Germany claimed that Barcelona had held the first round of concrete talks with managerial target Hansi Flick.

It was suggested that the 59-year-old German tactician is seen as a top candidate to succeed Xavi at the club by Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

It was even suggested that Flick was on Laporta’s radar even before he took over the reins of the German national team a few years ago.

No talks held

However, providing an update on the matter, Mundo Deportivo reports that sources close to Hansi Flick claim there have been no talks with Barcelona as of yet.

The report acknowledges that the 59-year-old former Bayern Munich and Germany manager is at the top of the list of replacements for Xavi that Barça are tracking.

However, he is not the only one as the La Liga champions also like Roberto De Zerbi, Mikel Arteta, and Luis Enrique, although the latter two are pretty much ruled out due to their commitments to Arsenal and PSG, respectively.

Flick remains very much in the fray for the job, and his newly appointed agent, Pini Zahavi, did meet with Laporta last week.

However, at the moment, sources close to the manager inform that Barça have not directly spoken with Flick as of yet.

While the ex-Germany boss’ candidacy is gaining weight, some reports suggest that there are a few doubts about him as well, mostly concerning his reluctance to rely on young talent – which is a must for any Barcelona manager, especially in the current financial climate.

So, it remains to be seen how things evolve, and which way Barça lean, although there is no urgency to take a decision at this point from the club’s side.