Barcelona have identified another candidate to replace Xavi. It could be coach Cristiano Ronaldo

Barcelona continues its quest for a new head coach to replace Xavi Hernandez, who will depart the team at the end of the current season.

Among the desired candidates for the Spanish champions are Roberto De Zerbi from Brighton, Xabi Alonso, and former Germany national team coach Hansi Flick. However, according to reports from FootballTransfers, the Catalan club has reached out to the head coach of the Portuguese national team, Roberto Martinez, regarding the prospect of succeeding Xavi.

According to the source, the initial offer was for a one-year contract with the possibility of extension, with the club proposing for Martinez to juggle coaching responsibilities between Barcelona and the Portuguese national team.

Martinez, originally from Spain, began his coaching career in his homeland before moving to the United Kingdom. He started his managerial journey in 2007 at English clubs and had a stint at Everton. In 2016, he took over as the head coach of the Belgian national team, but after the disappointment at the 2022 World Cup, where the team failed to reach the playoffs, he decided to step down from his position, despite previously leading Belgium to the top spot in the FIFA rankings.

He has held his current position since January 2023, and under his guidance, Portugal has won all ten matches.

Barcelona had previously considered Martinez. After Ronald Koeman's dismissal, he was considered for the head coach position but Xavi Hernandez was appointed instead.

The president of the Catalan club, Joan Laporta, has long admired Martinez, who has close ties to Barcelona through the Cruyff family. He is the godfather of one of Jordi Cruyff's sons, the son of Barcelona legend Johan, who held Martinez in high esteem both as a coach and as a person.