Barcelona have contacted a surprise treble-winning manager to replace Xavi at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Current incumbent Xavi announced at the weekend that he would be stepping down as Barcelona manager at the end of the season, leaving the club searching for the next boss to step into the dugout.
A number of targets have been linked with the role, including departing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and out-of-work Jose Mourinho, but it's another treble-winner that could be preferred in Catalonia.
- Real Madrid pick Carlo Ancelotti's successor, with Italian to leave Bernabeu: report
- ‘If Xabi Alonso had wanted the Liverpool job, Arne Slot might still be in Rotterdam' Respected writer and Liverpool fan Tony Evans provides the inside story of the quest to replace Jurgen Klopp and the shocking factor no one expected
According to SportBild journalist Christian Falk, Barcelona sporting director Deco contacted Hansi Flick in the past week on behalf of club president Joan Laporta.
Deco made Barcelona's interest in Flick clear, highlighting that he is among the shortlist of candidates to succeed Xavi.
Bild previously reported that Barcelona were keen on replacing former manager Ronald Koeman with Flick in late 2021, but had to settle for Xavi after Flick made clear his intention to continue with Germany.
Flick won the treble with Bayern Munich in the 2019/20 season, lifting the Bundesliga title, Champions League trophy and DFB-Pokal - despite having only taken over the club in October that season. During their run to the treble, Bayern even inflicted a 8-2 defeat on Barcelona in the Champions League.
The German boss added another few trophies to his cabinet, including the Club World Cup, before leaving in June 2021 to become the new manager of the German national team.
He lasted a lot shorter than expected in that role, though, being dispensed of his duties in September last year after the German FA grew concerned with results ahead of hosting Euro 2024. In doing so, Flick became the first-ever Germany manager to be sacked. A group stage elimination at World Cup 2022 didn't help his reputation, with a 4-1 friendly defeat against Japan signalling the end of his tenure.
Flick has been out of management since then, waiting for the right opportunity to take. There will be a number of key jobs in Europe available by the summer, though, with Barcelona and Liverpool already confirmed at this early stage.
More Barcelona stories
Barcelona great expresses interest in taking over from Xavi in summer, suggesting that "you can't say no".
Xavi hits out at officials as Barcelona lose 5-3 to Villarreal in La Liga, calling it a "disgrace".
