Man Utd's ideal Ten Hag replacement targeted by Barcelona

Tom Weber

• Updated: 10 Feb 2024 18:11 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona have begun looking into the feasibility of appointing Ruben Amorim as their next coach, according to Catalan media.

The Sporting CP boss is one of the most highly-rated coaches in world football and has been repeatedly linked with top European jobs in the past. At one point last year, the 39-year-old was touted as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag at Man Utd.

Now, it seems, Barcelona have begun taking a keen interest in the Portuguese tactician. The Blaugrana are in the market for a new head coach after Xavi surprisingly announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post at the end of the current campaign.

According to Catalan outlet 3Cat, Barcelona "have explored the possibility of Ruben Amorim becoming the next coach." It is claimed that the Portuguese connection could be key here as Amorim used to be a teammate of Blaugrana sporting director Deco at the international level.

The main stumbling block and the one that will likely be insurmountable for the Catalan giants is the fact that Amorim is under contract until 2026. There have been conflicting reports as to how high his release clause is.

When he was linked with Man Utd, there was talk of a figure between €10 million and €20m, however, the above-mentioned outlet puts his exit clause at a whopping €30m, an amount the cash-strapped club likely won't be able to pay.

Barcelona's coaching search

Amorim is the latest high-profile coach to be linked with the Blaugrana. Seemingly every big name under the sun has been associated with the club since Xavi's bombshell announcement.

However, the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and Roberto de Zerbi will likely be unattainable for the reigning LaLiga champions. Moreover, Fabrizio Romano has doused cold water on links to other managers such as Antonio Conte and former Barca midfielder Thiago Motta.

Former Germany boss Hansi Flick is keen on the job, but the Italian transfer expert asserts that it is still too early for the club to make a decision on Xavi's heir.