Barcelona have reportedly sounded out five possible managers to come into the Camp Nou, should they opt to part ways with boss Ronald Koeman in the coming weeks.
The Blaugrana have won two of their opening four La Liga games of the season under Koeman, while also being held to a draw by Athletic Bilbao and rescuing a point in the 90th-minute against struggling Granada.
Koeman's men also lost convincingly to Bayern Munich in the opening game of this year's Champions League group stage, with Robert Lewandowski hitting a brace at the Camp Nou alongside a Thomas Muller goal in a 3-0 win for the German side, contributing to increased scrutiny on the Dutch manager.
According to Goal, the Catalan giants are now preparing for life after Koeman and are currently gathering the £10m they will need to compensate their former player if they sack him.
The report suggests that the preferred option of club president Joan Laporta for a long-term manager is Roberto Martinez, who has been in charge of the Belgian National Team since 2016, overseeing their rise to the top of the world rankings.
Alternatively, Blaugrana legend Xavi has again been touted with the job, while Jordi Cruijff - son of Johan - is another option to promote, as he currently acts as the assistant sporting director at the Camp Nou.
Meanwhile, Football Italia quotes that former Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo and title-winning manager Antonio Conte are also both being sounded out for the job, having departed Juventus and Inter Milan respectively over the summer.
Sam Varley
