Barcelona allegedly planning to replace Koeman with Nagelsmann

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 3 min read

Reports from Spain are suggesting that Barcelona will attempt to bring in RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann as a replacement for Ronald Koeman this summer.

Earlier this month, Joan Laporta successfully won the Barcelona presidency, replacing the exiled Josep Maria Bartomeu who was subsequently arrested and released on suspected corruption allegations.

When Laporta was previously president in his first stint in the role, he attempted to recruit Koeman as head coach before eventually settling on Frank Rijkaard.

Even though Laporta respects Koeman, the Dutchman is allegedly viewed still as Bartomeu’s man, with the new president keen to make his own appointment.

As reported by AS via Cadena SER, Laporta has identified Nagelsmann as the man he wants to take the club forward from the summer of 2021.

Manu Carreno in ‘El Larguero’ of Cadena SE said:

“Laporta respects Koeman a lot but he would not have signed him for his project. He [Koeman] may continue, but he likes other coaches more, including Nagelsmann.”

Will Nagelsmann leave RB Leipzig?

When Nagelsmann started his first senior managerial role with Hoffenheim at the age of 28 in 2016, he became the youngest head coach in the history of the Bundesliga.

Since then, he has went from strength to strength and eventually made the step up to RB Leipzig, whom he has developed into genuine Bundesliga title contenders as well as a force in the Champions League, with the German outfit reaching the semi-final stage for the first time in the 2019/20 campaign.

His talents have naturally not gone unrecognised among Europe’s top sides, as in the past he has basically been linked with every elite club including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and the team he supports, Bayern.

Now, however, it appears Barcelona have entered the picture, though it remains unclear at the moment if the interest in Nagelsmann taking over at the Camp Nou is reciprocated by the man himself.

Real Madrid actually approached the young German coach to replace Zinedine Zidane in 2018 when the Frenchman unexpectedly left, only for Nagelsmann to turn Los Blancos down.

He has admitted since, however, that he would not do so again if approached a second time.

Nagelsmann’s RB Leipzig were recently eliminated from the Champions League in comfortable fashion over two legs by Liverpool, who won 4-0 on aggregate.