Barcelona managerial target set to snub Camp Nou move for Bayern Munich – report

With the season nearing its close, the Barcelona board is running out of time, as far as their search for a new manager is concerned.

The Catalans have contemplated a new manager for long enough and have yet to finalise their preferred option. The fact that Xavi’s prolonged stay has not been ruled out does not help their cause at all.

As a result of Barcelona’s indecision, the club’s options in the managerial market are slowly running out. And the latest candidate to be ruled out of Barcelona’s radar could be Julian Nagelsmann.

All set for a Bayern return?

Nagelsmann was one of many German coaches Barcelona were considering as a replacement for Xavi this summer.

However, as reported by SportBILD (h/t Diario SPORT), it seems the former Hoffenheim coach is just a step away from rejoining Bayern Munich in the coming summer.

Nagelsmann is currently in charge of the German national team and will be looking to seal the upcoming European Championship at home.

Nagelsmann is closing in on Bayern return (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

But the German has indicated in the past that he would like to resolve his future as soon as possible. To that end, it appears Bayern Munich have been able to convince the German to return to Bavaria.

Nagelsmann was in charge of Bayern between 2021-2023, notably winning a couple of Bundesliga titles. He is now in contention to return, especially after Bayern’s poor season under Thomas Tuchel, with the German champions poised to miss out on the Bundesliga title.

What’s next for Barcelona?

With Nagelsmann closing in on a return to Bayern Munich, the options are increasingly running scarce for Barcelona.

The Catalans, though, have no option but to wait. The second-leg tie against PSG, in particular, will have a key bearing on Xavi’s future at Camp Nou.

Should Barcelona get past PSG and seal a ticket for the Champions League semifinal, we can expect the club to make a big push to retain Xavi beyond the coming summer.

But one thing is for sure – Barcelona are unlikely to finalise their coaching vacancy in the next few weeks and we may have to wait longer to get a final outcome.