Juventus close to appointing Barcelona target as new manager | OneFootball

With merely a week left before the season comes to a close, the Barcelona management is working ’round the clock to conclude the future of Xavi Hernandez.

There is much uncertainty in the Catalan camp on whether or not Xavi will remain at Camp Nou. Barcelona, for their part, are actively searching for a replacement, with Thiago Motta emerging as one of their candidates.

Juventus closing in on Motta

However, in a major blow for Barcelona, it appears Juventus are on the verge of securing the services of Thiago Motta ahead of the new season.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Juventus are very close to reaching an agreement with Motta, after working on the deal for no less than six months.

Formerly a PSG midfielder, Motta is currently in charge of Italian club Bologna. The Italian has done a fantastic job as well and are in contention to guide the team to a Champions League finish this season.

Thiago Motta on the verge of joining Juventus (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Juventus were aware of Motta’s managerial abilities long back and were working on a deal to snap him up in the coming summer.

Their efforts have finally come to fruition, with Motta set to accept Juventus’ proposal. The manager must inform Bologna of his decision in the next 24 to 48 hours, meaning the deal could be imminent.

Motta is expected to sign a three-year deal with Juventus with a salary of around €5 million per season. With Motta no longer an option, Barcelona must now set their sights on other alternatives in the market.

The Catalans were recently linked with a move for Hansi Flick, but CBS journalist Guillem Balague has refuted such claims, which only reinforces the idea of Xavi Hernandez potentially remaining at Camp Nou beyond the coming summer.