Barcelona lay out targets for Ronald Koeman to earn new contract
By Tom Gott
Barcelona have told manager Ronald Koeman that they are prepared to offer him a new contract next summer if he meets certain targets set out for him across the remainder of the current season.
The boss, whose contract will expire at the end of the campaign, has long been subject to rumours about his future, with many speculating that he was brought in as a stop-gap manager until those in charge at Camp Nou could bring in their preferred target, Al-Sadd boss Xavi.
However, according to Goal, the club are actually prepared to keep Koeman around and president Joan Laporta has presented him with a conditional offer of a new contract which will only become active if the Dutchman meets certain goals this year, both on and off the pitch.
Some of the terms are fairly standard. For example, Laporta wants Koeman to remain composed under the pressure of being Barcelona manager and expects the boss to keep his cool in front of the media even if rumours about his future start to circulate.
Unsurprisingly, there is also a demand for Koeman to keep delivering results while conforming to the club's 'Cruyffista philosophy', but Laporta has also set out some rules for how Koeman will have to do that.
The president expects Koeman to stick to a 4-3-3 formation and wants all performances to look similar to the 4-2 win over Real Sociedad on the opening weekend of the season.
Further to that, Koeman has also been told that he must give La Masia graduate Riqui Puig a central role in his plans for the season, demanding that the 22-year-old be given far more minutes than he has seen under the Dutchman so far.
Puig, who is seen by many as one of the most talented products of the academy in recent years, is yet to play a minute this season and played over 45 minutes in just two La Liga games last year.
His lack of game time has seen Puig linked with a move away from Barcelona in recent years. The club were forced to trigger an extension in his deal to take Puig's contract up to 2023, but he continues to be linked an exit while his role at Camp Nou is uncertain.
Laporta, who has just lost young Ilaix Moriba to RB Leipzig, appears to be adamant that he will not lose another academy gem and wants to see Puig promoted to the starting lineup in the near future.