Barcelona are not flush for cash currently, and it is having a major impact on their abiity to carry out a rebuild. Not just in terms of the players they can bring in, but also the managers. One of the top choices to take over from Xavi Hernandez this summer is Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi, but his price tag is a major obstacle.
While the figure has been placed between €10m and €15m, Sport say that even if the Blaugrana want to sign de Zerbi, they will not fork out the €15m release clause in his contract. De Zerbi has been made aware of this, and Barcelona will ask that he tries to negotiate down his exit price if he wants to become the next manager at Montjuic. Equally, the Italian coach has made it clear that he will not act until he knows for certain that he is the number one choice.
🚨 De Zerbi knows what he has to do if he wants to come to Barça this summer: fight for getting the letter of freedom. Barça can't afford to pay his 15 million euros release clause. @sport pic.twitter.com/E1tfdF9DTX
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 27, 2024
Thomas Tuchel and Hansi Flick have been the other two managers that have been most closely linked with the Blaugrana outside of de Zerbi, but both have the advantage that they will be available at the end of the season without any attachments. Either way, Barcelona appear not to have made a firm decision on the next manager at the time of writing.
