Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi is reportedly Barcelona's number one candidate to succeed Xavi this summer.
Less than a year after masterminding Barca's run to 2022-23 La Liga glory, Xavi announced in a January press conference that he would resign from his position at the end of the season.
The Spaniard's revelation came after the Catalonian giants were defeated 5-3 at home to Villarreal, where he suggested that the Blaugrana need to be taken in a new direction by a new manager.
Xavi - whose position had already been called into question for a few weeks - also hit out at sections of the media during his resignation announcement, labelling the Barcelona job a "cruel" and "unpleasant" one to perform.
The former Barcelona midfielder will continue in his role for the next few months as his side chase success in La Liga and the Champions League, but the Blaugrana hierarchy - namely president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco - are now running the rule over numerous candidates to take over this summer.
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According to Sport, Laporta has now requested more information on De Zerbi, whom he has identified as his leading target to step into Xavi's shoes.
The 44-year-old was heralded for his work with Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk before replacing Graham Potter as Brighton boss in 2022, guiding the Seagulls to Europa League football in his first season in charge.
Aided by the Seagulls' intelligent recruitment in the transfer market, Brighton finished sixth in the 2022-23 Premier League season, and they qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League as group winners over Marseille, Ajax and AEK Athens a few months ago.
Under De Zerbi's wing, Brighton have been lauded for their ability to play around the press and build attacking sequences from the back, and the Italian's contract at the Amex runs until 2026.
Laporta has reportedly received plenty of positive feedback from his team running the rule over De Zerbi, whose man-management skills have been assessed alongside his tactical expertise.
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However, De Zerbi would not prove to be the cheapest managerial option for Barcelona, as his contract with the Seagulls is understood to include a release clause of €10m (£8.6m).
The former Sassuolo coach is just one of several contenders to become Barca's next head coach, a list which is also said to include Jurgen Klopp, who confirmed that he would leave Liverpool this summer just one day before Xavi's bombshell.
Klopp would apparently prefer to manage Barcelona or Real Madrid than take the Germany reins if he is to step back into management, but the 56-year-old is expected to take a year-long sabbatical once he severs ties with the Reds.
Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick and Xabi Alonso are also on Barcelona's managerial wishlist, as is former La Masia product Mikel Arteta, who was alleged to have been considering leaving Arsenal at the end of the season.
However, the Spaniard immediately rubbished such reports and is expected to extend his contract with the title-challenging Gunners in the not-so-distant future.
Ben Knapton
