Barcelona have been rocked by the shocking and sudden announcement from their manager Xavi Hernandez that he will step down from the hot seat at the end of the season. Xavi has endured a difficult season this time out at the Catalan club after guiding the club to La Liga title last season.

The Spaniard insisted that there is too much pressure for success at Barcelona and therefore he is stepping down for the wellbeing of the club. While this might be a dig at the fans for demanding too much, the Barcelona job is certainly not an easy one right now. They are yet to recover from their financial struggles and also have a pretty unbalanced side although there is talent in the dressing room.

It won’t be a cakewalk for any manager who steps into Xavi’s shoes in the summer. However, there are some excellent candidates for the job right now and among those, one of the brightest is Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi. Here, we will take a look at why De Zerbi would be the best choice for the Barca job.

Style of football

Roberto De Zerbi has been hailed for his tactics over the last few years and has been praised by some of the fellow managers. Even Barcelona legend and former manager Pep Guardiola heaped praise on the Italian for how he is revolutionizing the game with his football philosophy. With Guardiola praising the manager there couldn’t be a better compliment especially when we are considering Barcelona. De Zerbi’s front-footed, attacking and fearless football suits Barca’s legacy really well and he could therefore be the best man for the job.

Player development

During his time at Brighton & Hove Albion, qe have seen De Zerbi get the most out of his players and punch above their weights. With the quality Barca have at their disposal, De Zerbi could work wonders especially given the young players he has and the talent factory that is La Masia. Xavi has done really well in terms of player development but De Zerbi could take the likes of Gavi, Pedri, Yamal, Balde and others to the next level.

Spotting the talent

Brighton are among the best clubs in the world in terms of spotting talents and they have done it on a consistent basis. De Zerbi is blessed with the skillset of identifying the potential of players and signing gems for bargains. With Barcelona struggling financially, they could do with bargain signings and De Zerbi is perfect for that.