Barcelona looks to Inzaghi as contender to replace Xavi

The departure of Xavi from Barcelona this summer will signal a shift in leadership for the Catalan club. Xavi confirmed his summer departure from Camp Nou after the 5-3 home loss to Villarreal at the end of January. Despite the team’s recent resurgence, the 44-year-old has maintained that he is sticking with his decision to leave.

With four victories in their past six games, the Blaugrana are presently riding high. But speculation persists that Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton is in the running for the job. There is also talk that the role may go to Hansi Flick, the former manager of Germany.

The Barcelona post has been connected to a plethora of other prominent managers, including Xabi Alonso, Jurgen Klopp, and Thomas Tuchel, among many others.

New surprise contender for Barcelona is Simone Inzaghi

The most recent addition to the list is Simone Inzaghi. His tenure at the helm of Inter has seen the club’s meteoric rise to prominence and their present position atop the league.

In his five years as coach of Lazio, the 47-year-old won the Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups. He then took over as coach of Inter in the summer of 2021.

Inter have won two Coppa Italia titles and three Italian Super Cups under Inzaghi’s leadership. What is more, the Nerazzurri reached the UEFA Champions League final under his watch last season. His efforts have also put the Giuseppe Meazza outfit nine points ahead of Juventus on top of the Serie A table.

If he can add another Scudetto to the team’s title collection, he will have shown his value as a top-performing manager. And this evidence may even be enough to convince prospective employers to hire him.

As expected, his work has garnered acclaim throughout Europe, and Barcelona is now the latest side showing interest in hiring him, as per Tuttosport,

Highly sought-after coach

Inzaghi may find interest from clubs other than the current LaLiga champions if he decides to leave the Nerazzurri. Several English clubs intend to give the Spaniards a run for their money, as per the same report.

It is rumored that Inzaghi is also attracting attention from the Premier League, namely from Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool. There is talk that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is weighing his choices for United’s next coach after Erik ten Hag.

The British billionaire is still on the fence about the Dutchman and is looking into other possibilities. Meanwhile, following the 1-0 Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool, Mauricio Pochettino’s future as Chelsea manager is also uncertain.

There is still a chance that the Blues may qualify for Europe via the FA Cup or Premier League. However, after losing to Jurgen Klopp’s team, their prospects of participating in European competitions have diminished.

Speaking of the German, he will be leaving Anfield at the season’s conclusion, and the Reds are likewise trying to find a replacement. The outcome might be that Simone Inzaghi gets the top position he wants, which could be Barcelona.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.