Barcelona facing strong competition from the Premier League for managerial target
According to recent reports, Barcelona have whittled down their managerial shortlist to four names: Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and Roberto De Zerbi. It looks likely at this stage that Xavi Hernandez’s successor as head coach will be one of these, although the process is far from over for Deco and Joan Laporta.
Flick, Tuchel and Nagelsmann are all projected to be free agents in the summer. Flick is currently out of work, Tuchel is leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season and Nagelsmann’s contract with Germany ends after Euro 2024. Bearing this in mind, and Barcelona’s financial struggles, they are probably best placed.
However, in the case of Nagelsmann, Barcelona won’t have it easy to get his signature. According to Bild (via MD), Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United are also interested in hiring him, should he decide to depart the German job.
Nagelsmann would be an excellent appointment by Barcelona, but it’s far from certain that they will be able to agree terms, especially because of this interest from the Premier League.
