Luis Enrique has reportedly informed Barcelona's technical commission that he wants Koke to replace Xavi Hernandez next season.
Xavi is expected to leave Camp Nou this summer, with a move to Qatar or the United States on the agenda, but La Blaugrana's transfer ban means they cannot register any new players until next January.
However, they can still make signings in the meantime, and Sport claims the Coach has requested Koke over the likes of Paul Pogba and Hakan Calhanoglu on the grounds that the 23-year-old is better suited to his style of play.
Nonetheless, a deal will not be easy to broker as the 23-year-old has repeatedly expressed his desire to remain faithful to Atletico Madrid, while he put pen to paper on a new contract last summer.
Consequently, his release clause has been upped to €60m but Barca are believed to have already committed a large part of their budget on a proven midfielder and will try to appease Enrique.
