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#3: Laurent Blanc
While it's true that Laurent Blanc hasn't been in the grind for about four years now, there is no doubting the ability of the 54-year-old who has had illustrious careers as both player and manager. He has played for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Marseille and Manchester United and has managed the French international team in addition to Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain.
Le President is currently rumoured to be in the running for the managerial role at his former club Barcelona. Blanc boasts an impressive CV and is most renowned for his time at Paris Saint-Germain where he turned the club's fortunes around during a 3-year stint.
Blanc also led Ligue 1 club Bordeaux to a title triumph in the 2008-09 season. It was a quite commendable effort given the club hadn't tasted top-flight success for ten years. Barcelona, however, are definitely not in as poor a state right now.
Blanc would also be quite familiar with Barcelona players like Antoine Griezmann, Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet. As per Mundo Deportivo (via Forbes), super agent Jorge Mendes has opened negotiations between Blanc and Barcelona.
#2: Massimiliano Allegri
Massimiliano Allegri left the manager's role at Juventus at the end of the 2018-19 season and has been on a hiatus ever since. He is a manager who has experience working with top sides. Allegri managed AC Milan from 2010-2014, even winning the Serie A with the side in 2010-11, before taking over at Juventus.
Currently out of job, Allegri rejected the opportunity to manage Cagliari saying his next job will be outside the country. And that's according to Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini, who told Sky Sports Italia:
"I made a bit of a mad phone call towards the end of January, offering Allegri the job, knowing full well it was going to be impossible. Massimiliano told me his next adventure will be abroad.”
Allegri's patient, possession-based footballing philosophy is in sync with that of Barcelona's, and the Italian has been linked with the managerial position at the Camp Nou in the past.
#1: Pep Guardiola
The odds of Pep Guardiola abandoning the ongoing project at Manchester City and returning to Barcelona are debatable, but it's not a possibility that we can completely write off. After all, Guardiola coached one of the best Barcelona teams ever and had a triumphant stint in Catalonia with arguably the best football team of the 21st century.
Guardiola's current contract with Manchester City runs till 2021. However, it has been rumoured that there is a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave a year early if he wishes to do so.
Pep Guardiola's Champions League ambitions at City have been consistently quelled, and they have had a rather below par season by their own standards. At Barcelona, Pep Guardiola will inherit a team that has an unquestionable amount of talent and is brimming with potential, something the Spaniard absolutely loves to work with.
