La Liga heavyweights Barcelona have reportedly contacted outgoing Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara over becoming Hansi Flick’s assistant.
According to a report by Spanish outlet AS, Hansi Flick will become the new Barcelona manager this summer. Xavi Hernandez is departing from the Catalan club after Sunday’s game against Sevilla. And they want to appoint Thiago Alcantara as their next assistant manager as they want a Catalan flavour in the backroom staff.
Thiago Alcantara and his Liverpool struggles
Thiago Alcantara has endured a forgettable stint with Liverpool since arriving from Bayern Munich in a deal worth €22 million in September 2020. Pundits and fans hailed the move as a bargain, considering the Merseyside club had signed a world-class player without coughing up a big-money sum.
The Spaniard had an injury-riddled 2023/24 season, spending most of the campaign on the sidelines. Thiago managed only five minutes of game time in one cameo appearance this past term. And the experienced midfielder will leave Liverpool as a free agent when the summer transfer window opens on July 1.
Widespread reports have linked the outgoing Liverpool midfielder with several clubs. Big-spending Saudi Pro League outfits like Al-Hilal have shown interest in the 33-year-old. However, a return to Barcelona might be on the cards for the injury-riddled Spanish international heading into the summer transfer window.
Barcelona return on the cards?
Recent reports have linked Girona with Thiago Alcantara. While a return to Catalonia might see the light of day, it might come with a return to Barcelona. However, the outgoing La Liga champions do not want to add the 46-cap Spanish international to their first-team squad, as they have another role in mind for him.
With Hansi Flick on the verge of replacing Xavi Hernandez as the new head coach at FC Barcelona, the Catalan giants are planning his backroom staff. Barcelona will look to appoint the 33-year-old as Flick’s assistant, with other candidates, including Marc Bartra, also emerging as potential candidates for the position.
The report acknowledges that convincing Thiago to return to Barcelona as an assistant manager will be a tall order. So, it will be interesting to see if the 46-cap Spanish international rejoins Barcelona in a non-playing role this summer.
