5 Potential replacements in the event that Barcelona sack Valverde

#1 Leonardo Jardim (AS Monaco)

Jardim would be perfect for the Blaugrana

Jardim has won admiring glances across Europe due to his exploits with Sporting Club and AS Monaco. He will be a popular choice for Cules who have been starved of the fluid, attacking football the team played during the Pep Guardiola era.

AS Monaco has been dire so far this season. However, little of the blame can be put on Jardim. After another summer spent selling off the team's prize assets, the revolving-door policy has finally caught up with the Principality team.

One of Jardim's major strengths has been his ability to improve players he met at the clubs he has coached instead of demanding for new transfers. This will be great news for Barca fans unhappy with how La Masia graduates had been sidelined in recent seasons.

His ability to improve players and make them better is one that would appeal to the Barcelona hierarchy. An avid lover of the 4-4-2 formation, his love of offensive football (his Monaco side score for fun) makes him perfect for a Barca team for whom goalscoring has not been easy to come by in Valverde's rigid formation

He could be the man to get the best of new signings Malcolm and Arthur Melo who are just finding their feet under Valverde. Given his work in helping Kylian Mbappe hone his talent, Jardim could be the answer to the conundrum that is Ousmane Dembele.