Barcelona draw up 4-man managerial shortlist should Xavi leave or get sacked: Reports

Barcelona have reportedly drawn up a four-man shortlist in the event of manager Xavi Hernandez's sacking or possible resignation.

This is as per reports from Spanish outlet Football Espana (via Barca Blaugranes), who have added that president Joan Laporta will only look to make the change if things deteriorate further.

Michel Sanchez, Imanol Alguacil, Thiago Motta and Rafael Marquez have emerged as the four names being looked at for the Barcelona hot-seat.

Sanchez has done brilliantly at Girona this season, with the team sitting comfortably at the top of La Liga with 41 points after 16 games.

Earlier known as the minnows of the league, the manager has mastered an incredible turnaround in the perception of the club within half a season. This has led to comparisons with Xavi's work at Barca.

Alguacil's Real Sociedad are doing fairly well too, sitting at sixth in La Liga with 29 points from their 16 games. They are performing even better in the Champions League as they qualified for the knockouts as winners of Group D ahead of Inter Milan.

Motta is a former Barcelona player and is currently doing well with Bologna in Serie A, guiding them to fifth place so far.

Marquez is a former Barca player too, and could be better suited to take up the role with immediate effect considering he is currently the coach of Barcelona Atletic.

With his job potentially on the line, Xavi will be hoping to return to winning ways in his team's next game against Valencia in La Liga.

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Barcelona could be dealt a blow in pursuit of Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly put their foot down and blocked any potential offers for key midfielder Giovani Lo Celso ahead of the January transfer window.

This is as per reports from Sun Sport (via Transfer News Live), who have added that Spurs are unwilling to sell or loan the Argentine.

Lo Celso has been a key player for Tottenham since joining in 2020 and has made 92 appearances for the club across competitions, netting 10 times and providing six assists. He has made eight appearances so far this season and has chipped in with two goals.

However, with injuries to key midfielder James Maddison means Ange Postecoglou's side have no interest in diluting their resources further. This could likely mean an end to possibilities of a potential move to Barcelona.