What’s the story?
Barcelona are looking to replace seemingly out-of-favour manager Luis Enrique with Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp. The German signed a new six-year contract only this season but is a target for the Catalans who feel they’ve lost a lot of ground this season under Enrique.
And what’s also being touted is the possibility of the German manager taking Philippe Coutinho to Spain in what would be a double-hammer blow for the Merseyside club. Barcelona retain a strong interest in the Brazilian and will be willing to accommodate him in their first-team.
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Klopp is a big fan of Barcelona. He’s seen them play in person quite often and even took the whole of his Liverpool squad to witness one of their games in the La Liga in December.
And the club hold the German in high regard for what he achieved with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. They feel his energy and new style will wake Barcelona from their recent slumber.
The heart of the matter
The Catalans recently lost 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the UEFA Champions League – a result that’s expected to end their run in the competition this season. They’re also four points behind Real Madrid – who have a game in hand – in the La Liga.
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Enrique’s behaviour in recent matches also suggests there’s a lot going wrong in the Camp Nou. His outburst with journalists following their 4-0 loss to Unai Emery’s side was just the outline of a lot of frustration brewing behind the curtains.
What’s next?
With Andres Iniesta entering his final few years as a professional footballer, the club are looking to rebrand themselves completely – in order to keep with the times and connect with a whole new genre of audience.
In Coutinho, they’ll have a young creative player capable of single-handedly changing games and in Klopp, a manager capable of dealing with Barcelona’s pressure both on and off the field.
Sportskeeda’s Take
With Coutinho and Klopp both having signed new long-term contracts in recent weeks, it’s unlikely this deal will go through. However, stranger things have happened in football. If the deal does, in fact, go down, it’ll make for a very interesting season in all – the La Liga, the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League – next year.
