The question of who will replace Xavi Hernandez on the FC Barcelona bench for the next season is on the minds of almost everyone associated with the Catalan club.
Although several coaches have been linked with the Blaugranes since Xavi’s announcement of his departure at the end of the season, the club is taking its time to assess their options as thoroughly as possible and appoint only the best-suited candidate to this all-important position.
However, reports coming out from the club have still provided some hints on what the club is thinking about their next head coach.
One set of such reports indicates that there are several German coaches on the list of Deco, and with President Laporta also being a fan of the German style of coaching, it is believed that someone following this philosophy will be the club’s next bet.
In this regard, coaches like Hansi Flick, Jurgen Klopp, Julian Nagelsmann, and Thomas Tuchel have all been linked with Barcelona in recent weeks.
But there is another philosophy that is now gaining popularity among the decision-makers at the Catalan club, i.e., the Italian style of coaching. Within this group, the likes of Antonio Conte have already been linked with Barcelona, but according to SPORT, another name has now entered the club’s consideration.
This name is Simone Inzaghi, the current Inter Milan coach, who took his team to the finals of the UEFA Champions League last season and is now leading them to a charge for the Serie A title this season. His achievements with Inter speak for themselves, and he is a highly competent candidate.
However, there are two problems that Barcelona might face if they try to get him. Firstly, he still has a contract with the Italian team, and Barcelona will be required to pay a fee if they want to acquire his services.
Secondly, his good performances with Inter have roused the interest of other European sides as well, particularly from the Premier League.
Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool all have him in their sights, and all these clubs can offer him considerably higher wages than what Barcelona can or the €5.5 million that he earns with Inter Milan. Thus, while he will be a highly compelling option, getting Inzaghi to replace Xavi will not be easy for Barcelona.