Barcelona fear former boss Pep Guardiola could end up at Manchester City next season and plunder their youth academy.
AS reports that Guardiola will return to Spain for Christmas following his self-imposed exile in New York since quitting the Camp Nou at the end of last season, and he is expected to meet his agent to discuss future plans.
Milan and Bayern Munich are understood to be among a list of clubs on the agenda, while contact with both Chelsea and Manchester City is believed to have taken place in the last few months.
It is the latter Barca are more worried about. They are concerned that if Guardiola does end up at the Etihad Stadium then the Blues will not only be a threat to the Catalans in European competition, but might attempt to take away some of their young stars.
Former Barcelona director of football Txixi Begiristain is now with English champions and could return to the club to try and entice the likes of Sergi Roberto, Gerard Deulofeu and Rafinha to the Premier League.
A further draw for 41-year-old Guardiola is that City have allocated €120m for the construction of a new football academy along the lines of Barca’s famed La Masia, a complex that will accommodate up to 80 players with provision to coach 400 players per day.
