Barcelona Set To Ditch Bayern Ex-Manager Flick And Go After De Zerbi To Succeed Xavi

After giving up on Mikel Arteta, Barcelona has apparently decided to pursue Roberto De Zerbi as their primary choice to succeed Xavi, as they set to drop Bayern ex-manager Hansi Flick.

The Catalan giants are in the middle of a crucial decision-making process as they negotiate the rough seas of coaching changes. Both Mikel Arteta and Luis Enrique have contracts with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal that go through 2025.

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Enrique is in charge of restructuring PSG’s sporting structure in the wake of Kylian Mbappe’s departure, but Arteta has led Arsenal to significant Premier League victories since Arsene Wenger’s departure, and the north London team will do everything in its power to keep him and him out of Barca’s grasp.

Amidst the coaching conundrum, Pini Zahavi, the agent representing Hansi Flick, made an intriguing appearance during Barcelona’s match against Getafe. Despite Flick’s illustrious accomplishments, including a sextuple triumph with Bayern Munich, subsequent ventures with the German national team and elsewhere have been less fruitful, raising doubts about his suitability for the Camp Nou hot seat. Hence, Barcelona President Joan Laporta has discarded him from the shortlist, according to a report in AS.

Now for De Zerbi, the 44-year-old tactician whose name is well-known in Barcelona. De Zerbi’s drive, footballing philosophy, and tactical sense are in perfect harmony with Barcelona’s classic values, even though he lacks firsthand knowledge of La Liga and the subtleties of the team’s culture. His exploits at Brighton, together with his excellent spells at Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, where he played spacious, visually appealing football, highlight his potential as a manager.

Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, had a recent conversation with his representatives, Edmundo Babchi and Edoardo Crnjar, indicating how seriously the club takes De Zerbi’s possible appointment.

Barca might have to pay a transfer fee in order to sign De Zerbi, though. With an escape clause set at €10 million (£9 million/$11 million), the manager’s contract with the Seagulls is set until 2028. It remains to be seen if the financially constrained Catalans will consent to fund the transfer in order to acquire their desired Xavi replacement.