Barcelona put former manager ‘very high’ on list of replacements should he become available – report

Barcelona were hit by a missile last month as Xavi announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season following the heart-wrenching 3-5 defeat at the hands of Villarreal at home.

“I feel very good. I made my decision a long time ago, and it feels liberating to announce it. I think that we can still have a good season in my last four months here,” he said about his decision.

Now in search for a new head coach at the club, Barcelona have shortlisted a fair few names, including the likes of Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel, and Roberto de Zerbi, whose names have come up more frequently than others.

According to Pol Ballus, who wrote in The Athletic, several Barça sources put Luis Enrique’s name high up among the list of candidates to replace Xavi, should he become available.

However, no contacts with any manager has been made yet, and part of the reason why can be traced to their financial conditions.

They are also aware that several top teams across Europe will look for a change of scenery in their managerial position. Liverpool are among the top of this list, who will be looking to appoint a replacement for Jurgen Klopp.

There could be other teams among the bigger dogs who could be looking for a shuffle come the end of the season. Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has been under pressure from fans, while Eddie Howe is currently sitting seventh in the Premier League and could be under fire, too.

Same goes for Mauricio Pochettino, with Chelsea in 10th place as it stands, even though he has made it abundantly clear that he will never coach Barcelona.

Thomas Tuchel’s tenure at Bayern is also under threat, with the Bavarians lurking in second place in Bundesliga, and also coming off successive defeats against Bayer Leverkusen (3-0) and Lazio (1-0).

Similarly, while PSG are leading Ligue 1 quite comfortably, 11 points clear off second-place Nice, Lucho could be judged on his performances in the Champions League, and Barcelona could pounce on the chance to sign him very quickly.