Topics: Xavi, Ronald Koeman, Juan Laporta, Barcelona, La Liga
The search for Koeman's replacement has neared its conclusion after the Dutchman was relieved of his duties on Wednesday.

Once the sacking of Ronald Koeman was announced, the focus quickly shifted to who would be the next Barcelona head coach. The Catalan giants wasted no time in beginning their search for a new boss, with one man now being chosen as the successor.

Koeman's sacking was announced yesterday in the aftermath of their embarrassing 1-0 defeat against Rayo Vallecano. That loss leaves them 9th in the table, with Depay and Co. sitting six points behind the top two teams in the league – Real Madrid and Sevilla – and only five ahead of 15th-placed Elche.

However, this decision had been long in the making, with the Blaugrana struggling throughout this season. Their back-to-back 3-0 defeats against Bayern Munich and Benfica in the UEFA Champions League are proof of this, as well as their losses against fellow Spanish giants Atletico Madrid (0-2) and Real Madrid (1-2).

With the Dutchman gone, Barcelona are in need of a new tactician and according to several sources, the man to take up the helm at Camp Nou will be none other than Xavi, the iconic former midfielder who is currently coaching Qatari side Al-Sadd.

There have been varying reports, however, with some claiming an agreement has been already reached. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, for example, has stated that while talks with the Spaniard began weeks ago, the process to bring him back to Catalonia has just gotten underway and thus his official appointment is not imminent.

Catalan news outlet Sport, on the other hand, claims that the 2010 World Cup winner has already reached a full agreement with Laporta and Co. and has embarked on his contract termination at Al-Sadd. Regardless, given that he has only one year left on his deal, his arrival at Barcelona appears to be a matter of when, not if. While negotiations with Xavi's Qatari employers should not be a tough hill to overcome, Marca claim that the arrival of Spanish tactician will likely have to wait until the November international break.