Reports: Lionel Messi picks out three candidates for Barcelona job

What's the rumour?

According to the Spanish outlet Don Balon, Lionel Messi has identified three potential candidates to replace Ernesto Valverde at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

If the aforementioned report is to be believed, Laurent Blanc has topped the Argentine's wish list while the former Premier League managers Ronald Koeman and Michael Laudrup have emerged as other options.

In case you didn't know...

Ernesto Valverde's contract with Barcelona runs out at the end of the ongoing season and nothing has been discussed with regard to an extension thus far.

Consequently, the La Liga giants are listing the candidates they should chase in case the former Athletic Bilbao manager decides to leave the club in the near future.

The heart of the matter

Laurent Blanc has been out of work since he parted ways with Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2015-16 season, but there has been no shortage of speculation linking him with high-profile jobs. This past summer, he had surfaced as one of the major targets for Chelsea to replace Antonio Conte before Maurizio Sarri came calling.

As for Ronald Koeman, the Dutchman is coaching the Netherlands national team at present and has also played a vital role in La Blaugrana's illustrious history. Koeman whiled away six seasons at Barcelona and inspired the club to 4 La Liga, 1 Copa del Rey and 3 Spanish Super Cup titles.

Meanwhile, Michael Laudrup's inclusion in the list is a turn-up for the books. The Dane's biggest managerial job came when he was at the helm of Swansea City during 2012-14 but in all fairness to him, he has also previously plied his trade for Barcelona.

Rumour rating/probability: 4/10

The report comes from a not-so-reliable source so the readers are advised to take the news with a generous pinch of salt.

What's next?

If Valverde decides to depart from Barcelona, we may very well see one of the said managers take the reins at the Camp Nou.