Barcelona could look to lure Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini back to La Liga to replace Gerardo Martino, FootballDirectNews.com understands.
Martino’s future at the Nou Camp is under intense scrutiny again this season after another disappointing display saw Barcelona eliminated from the Champions League by rivals Atletico Madrid in Wednesday night’s quarter-final tie. Barca are also behind in the title race, and are widely viewed as having failed to reach their free-flowing best under the new management this season, with Martino favouring a slightly more direct approach than predecessors Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova. With results so far failing to justify the change in approach, the club’s board have reportedly been considering a number of alternatives to take charge of the team next season. Pellegrini may now be the prime candidate, a European football insider claims, as the Chilean’s expansive playing style has worked well at City this season and is more in keeping with the Catalan giants’ philosophy.
After impressing a number of top clubs with his work at Malaga, the 60-year-old had also been linked with a move to Barca last summer.
He instead chose a move to the Premier League with City, but after being given just one season at Real Madrid earlier in his career, Pellegrini may be tempted to try his luck at the very top level of Spanish football again.
