Barcelona have drawn-up a three-man short-list to potentially replace Luis Enrique this summer and one man on the list is Everton boss Ronald Koeman, Goal reports.
What’s the word?
As a Barcelona legend having spent eight successful years as a player in Catalonia before working behind the scenes in the early stages of his managerial career, it’s not surprising to see Ronald Koeman mentioned as a possible successor to Luis Enrique.
Enrique is under intense pressure as he trails Real Madrid in La Liga, despite Barcelona having played two more matches than their arch-rivals, and Tuesday’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain has left the Spanish giants facing the possibility of a Round of 16 exit in the Champions League.
Having won the La Liga crown in each of the past two years, Enrique could walk this summer as his contract draws to a close and Koeman is amongst the names being touted as a potential successor. However, there’s many names being linked.
Who else is a target?
Barcelona’s other two managerial targets are reported to be Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde and Real Sociedad’s Eusebio, both of whom are former Barcelona players and have impressed during their tenures in the Basque county.
Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli has also been linked with a move from Andalusia to Catalonia but there is still the possibility that Luis Enrique could continue with his reign at the Nou Camp- but he’ll only earn an extension if he overturns the La Liga deficit and wins the title.
Given Barcelona’s current standing that seems unlikely but Everton will be hopeful of keeping Koeman as he only just arrived at Goodison Park, whilst Valverde, Eusebio and Sampaoli could find themselves ahead of the Dutchman due to their standing in Spanish football.
Koeman also has experience managing in Spain but his spell with Valencia was far from exceptional, as despite winning the Copa Del Rey he almost took the club to the second-tier of Spanish football.
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