Barcelona have reportedly drawn up a three-man shortlist of possible replacements for Xavi ahead of the manager's resignation at the end of the season.
In the wake of Saturday's crushing 5-3 home loss to Villarreal in La Liga, Xavi - who had been under pressure for a number of weeks - announced that he would be leaving the club once the campaign comes to a close.
During an explosive post-match press conference, Xavi accused sections of the media of making his job unbearable, claiming that managing the Blaugrana is an "unpleasant" and "cruel" experience and affirming that the club will benefit from fresh blood.
The Barcelona hierarchy have a few months to vet potential successors to the La Liga-winning head coach, and Barcelona Atletic coach Rafael Marquez has already expressed an interest in taking the top job.
However, the former Blaugrana defender will seemingly face stiff competition to land the manager's job, as according to Gerard Romero - via The Sun - Barca have identified three high-profile candidates whom they wish to interview.
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Among them is soon-to-be ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who confirmed his own shock departure from Anfield just one day before Xavi's bombshell, and sporting director Deco is said to be making contact with intermediaries.
Barcelona's efforts to lure Klopp to Catalonia will likely prove unfruitful, though, as the 56-year-old is expected to take a sabbatical for around a year before making a firm decision on his next career move.
Klopp - who confessed to "running out of energy" in the Reds hotseat - has ruled out the possibility of taking charge of another English club, but the German national team have been after his services for a long time.
The door will open for Klopp to manage his country if Julian Nagelsmann is swiftly removed from his post, and the former Bayern Munich boss is also believed to be on Barcelona's radar.
After his bolt-from-the-blue sacking from Bayern, Nagelsmann was hired to succeed Hansi Flick in the Germany dugout, but the 36-year-old has won just one of his opening four matches in the Mannschaft dugout.
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Nagelsmann's contract with the DFB only runs until the end of Euro 2024, and an extension is unlikely to be offered to him if Germany under-perform at their home European Championships this summer.
Finally, former Barcelona youth product and current Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is admired by Blaugrana chiefs, having transformed the Gunners from an eighth-placed side to Premier League title challengers.
The 41-year-old failed to make a single senior appearance for Barcelona during his playing days, but he played 42 times for their B team and sees his contract with Arsenal expire in the summer of 2025.
Owing to Saturday's gripping defeat to Villarreal, Barcelona are 11 points behind leaders Girona in third place in the La Liga table, albeit with a game in hand, and they were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Athletic Bilbao last week.
Xavi's side are still competing for Champions League glory, though, and the first leg of their last-16 tie with Italian champions Napoli will be played on February 21.
Ben Knapton
