Barcelona president Joan Laporta eyes Julian Nagelsmann as Ronald Koeman replacement
By Tom Gott
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is said to be keen to bring RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann to Camp Nou at the end of the season if Ronald Koeman does not continue as manager.
Koeman has led Barcelona on a mini-turnaround over the past month, but his future remains up in the air after what has been a largely disappointing campaign so far. La Blaugrana are six points behind Atletico Madrid in La Liga and came perilously close to crashing out of the Copa del Rey, only to perform a miraculous comeback against Sevilla in the semi-final.
With Laporta keen to usher in a new era at Camp Nou, Koeman's future is up for debate. Club officials are discussing whether to keep him on or not, and the likes of Leicester's Brendan Rodgers and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta have been mentioned as potential alternatives.
Laporta is known to be a big fan of Koeman, whom he believes deserves respect because of his six years of service as a player, but according to Cadena SER, the new president is just a little higher on Nagelsmann.
It's suggested that the only way Koeman will continue at Barcelona is if he manages to win the La Liga title this season. If he comes up short, Laporta is prepared to act.
The president hopes to make some real statements this summer. He is already thought to be keen to rebuild his squad around Borussia Dortmund hitman Erling Haaland and is looking at ways to free up the money for the Norway international, but the blockbuster changes could extend to the dugout as well.
Nagelsmann is one of the game's most in-demand managers and most top sides have been thoroughly impressed with his work with both Hoffenheim and Leipzig, and Laporta has put him towards the top of his wish list if he does cut ties with Koeman.
Recently, Nagelsmann has seen his name linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, so moving ahead of the competition to land him would be a huge signal of intent from Laporta.
In the meantime, Laporta wants to give Koeman a fair chance to prove himself and plans to give the Dutchman the rest of the season to capitalise on the team's recent upturn in form.
However, if he is not able to overcome the six-point gap to Atletico, it could well be curtains for Koeman.