Barcelona are reportedly lining up Erik ten Hag if they replace current manager Ronald Koeman.
Koeman returned to Barcelona this summer, having spent six incredibly successful years at the club during his playing career.
In those six years, he won four La Liga titles, one European Cup and one Copa del Rey.
The Dutchman arrived at an incredibly turbulent time at Camp Nou.
The club had been plunged into financial turmoil by then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu, they had just ended the season without a trophy, Bayern Munich had humiliated them 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-finals, and star man Lionel Messi had handed in a transfer request.
Koeman had a difficult start to life as manager of La Blaugrana, but managed to somewhat turn things around.
A strong 2021 propelled them back into the title race, and they managed to win the Copa del Rey after an emphatic 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.
However, their title charge has hit the buffers following carelessly dropped points against Granada and Levante.
They now need Atletico Madrid to pick up fewer than two points from their last two games to stand a chance of winning the league.
Gerard Romero, host of Spanish radio station RAC1, has reported that the club have begun to look for managers who could replace Koeman, with Ajax’s Erik ten Hag being one of the names mentioned.
The 51-year-old has spent four years in Amsterdam, winning four major trophies and coming within seconds of reaching a Champions League final.
This season, he has completed a domestic double, sitting 14 points ahead of PSV Eindhoven and defeating Vitesse in the final of the KNVB Cup.
Ten Hag was linked to Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich following the departures of Jose Mourinho and Hansi Flick.
However, the rumours were quelled after he signed a new contract at Ajax. This will, rather obviously, be a stumbling block in negotiations if Barcelona wish to hire him.
Romero also named club legend Xavi as a possible contender for the job, as well as Barcelona B coach Garcia Pimienta.
Read also: No Hansi Flick, No Xavi: The hunt for Barcelona’s next manager.
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