Jurgen Klopp had been expected to take time out of management(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants Jurgen Klopp to replace Xavi as the club’s manager at the end of the season.
The German made the shock announcement in January that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
During his interview, Klopp vowed not to manage another Premier League club and intimated he would not take up another managerial position for the 2024/25 campaign.
But that was before Xavi announced his decision to step down at the Camp Nou.
Laporta, who had been minded to sack Xavi before his decision, had already started searching for replacements for the Spaniard.
But with Xavi set to remain until July, Barcelona have more time to find a successor and Spanish outlet Sport say Klopp is Laporta’s first choice.
Klopp will leave Liverpool in July (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
The Spaniards know that Klopp would take some convincing to take such a high-pressured job following a nine-year spell at Anfield.
But they feel they are well positioned for Klopp to take charge, given top jobs elsewhere are tied up or deemed unlikely.
Klopp has said he will not manage in England again, and his ties with Dortmund mean a move to Bayern Munich are unlikely.
Carlo Ancelotti recently signed a new deal with Real Madrid, while Italian football is not in the best health.
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