Rac1: Hansi Flick is the first priority to succeed Koeman as Barcelona manager

Catalan network RAC 1 maintain that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has established contact with 56-year-old who was poised to take over as German head coach.

German Hansi Flick is the leading candidate to take over as FC Barcelona head coach next season. Catalan radio station RAC 1 maintain that Barça president Joan Laporta has spoken with the former Bayern Munich manager and presented an argument as why Flick should not accept the DFB offer to become German national team coach after the Euros. The possible arrival of the German may also impact on the continuity of some of the veteran players at the club such as: Piqué, Busquets, Alba and Sergi Roberto. It's still not clear what path of action Lionel Messi will take with the Argentine stating previously that he will clarify his future at the end of the league season.

Earlier this week Laporta maintained that Barcelona had reached the 'end of a cycle' and stated his intention of working hard on rebuilding a team that could compete for the Champions League. "We won the Spanish Cup and and I'm proud of that, but we lost the league in an incomprehensible manner and exited the Champions League early on", he claimed.

End of an era at Camp Nou

This 'end of an era' comment certainly points to a Camp Nou clear-out with many players close to Messi certainly to be under the radar. The paradox of his statement is that despite all the talk of the end of an era, Laporta is still desperate to retain club captain Messi with the Argentine pivotal to so many of the club's success in the past two decades.