Barcelona 'give up hope of appointing Mikel Arteta as Xavi replacement'

Barcelona have reportedly conceded defeat in their hopes of appointing Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as Xavi's successor.

Xavi is set to leave his position at the end of the season after making the announcement following a 5-3 defeat to Villarreal on January 27.

Since revealing his decision, the Barcelona head coach has seen his side embark on a six-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

Despite overseeing an upturn in form, Xavi has insisted that he has no regrets over his decision as the club continues the search for his replacement.

Last month, a report suggested that Arteta had been included on a three-man shortlist of potential candidates, leading the Arsenal boss to hit out at the "fake" rumours.

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Arteta, who began his playing career with the Blaugrana, supposedly impressed the Barcelona hierarchy with his work since being appointed Arsenal boss in 2019.

However, according to Sport, Barcelona have now given up hope of persuading the 41-year-old to swap North London for Catalonia ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Although Arteta has less than 18 months left on his current deal, he has given no indication that he is planning on leaving Arsenal any time soon.

Barcelona are also unlikely to secure the signature of Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso, who is currently attracting interest from Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

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Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi is believed to be under consideration, with the Italian recently admitting that he was honoured to be linked with Barcelona as well as Manchester United.

Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann have been mentioned as potential candidates, while Hansi Flick is another name that has been mooted as a possible successor to Xavi.

A recent report also claimed that Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi has emerged as a contender to fill the Barcelona hotseat.

Barcelona, who currently occupy third position, will be in action on Sunday when they face fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao at San Mames.