Ronald Koeman is in a strange situation at Barcelona because he has done a decent job and he’s still under contract, but you just get the feeling that something isn’t right.
Ultimately it sounds like the Barca board are willing to let him have another season in charge, but everything suggests they will gladly show him the door if they think they can get someone better.
Reports emerged last night to say that talks had been held between Koeman and the club and the outcome sounded positive, as his agent even spoke about a possible extension:
Ronald Koeman’s agent Rob Jansen after meeting with Barcelona president Laporta: “The feeling is positive. It’s even that good that Ronald might even stay longer (than 2021/22). But we are not this far yet, more conversations will follow”, he told Telegraaf. ? #FCB @MikeVerweij
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 25, 2021
That should really have been the end of that, but things could quickly change as some rumours have emerged about Antonio Conte holding talks with Barca and potentially being available soon:
Inter Milan believe Conte has held discussions with Barcelona. https://t.co/ctX3FY4x4K
— Leah Smith (@LeahSmith_) May 26, 2021
Conte is an excellent manager who has a proven record of winning titles for clubs that have had a slight barren spell, but he doesn’t stay in one place for every long.
While Koeman failed to deliver in La Liga or the Champions League last season he did show a willingness to lay the groundwork for long-term success at the club, whereas Conte is a manager who wants to win and he doesn’t really care about setting the club up for years to come.
It’s possible that he would see some instant success before leaving in a couple of years and leaving Barca in another mess as they try to rebuild again, while it would also be fascinating to see if Lionel Messi would still want to stay.
It’s very possible that these leaks have come out to put some pressure on Inter to give Conte what he needs, but it’s one to keep an eye on over the next few days.