New Competitor Emerges for De Zerbi: Barcelona Faces Stiff Competition

Barcelona’s bench remains one of the major uncertainties for the upcoming season, especially with increasing speculation surrounding Xavi’s potential continuation.

Officially, all parties maintain their stance: Xavi insists he hasn’t changed his mind, while Deco and Laporta claim they haven’t received any updates from him. However, both the president and the sporting director express their desire for Xavi to reconsider and reverse his decision.

For now, it seems the decision has been postponed, but the same candidates remain in contention. Among them is De Zerbi, a favorite at the club. The Brighton coach has refrained from committing and emphasized his focus on Brighton, but he’s receiving numerous offers.

One of the recent offers reportedly comes from Bayern Munich. According to ‘Sky’ journalist Florian Plettenberg, De Zerbi is Bayern’s Plan B if they fail to sign Xabi Alonso. It’s worth noting that Bayern announced weeks ago that Thomas Tuchel would not continue after June, affecting important coaching positions at Liverpool, Bayern, and Barcelona.

These reports also suggest that De Zerbi remains on Barcelona’s radar. Despite consensus around De Zerbi’s capabilities, his hiring is challenging due to his hefty release clause and the last-minute competition faced by Barcelona. The Italian is under contract with Brighton until 2026, with a €15 million release clause, a figure Barcelona is reluctant to pay at this time.