Barcelona presidential hopeful Jordi Farre says his camp have already begun talks over the possibility of Liverpool chief Jurgen Klopp taking the managerial reins at Camp Nou in future.
Barca's next presidential elections were initially due to be held next summer, only to be brought forward to March 2021 by incumbent Josep Maria Bartomeu after an emergency board meeting that followed the club's humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich.
Such an emphatic European loss - that followed hot on the heels of the Blaugrana losing their LaLiga crown to bitter rivals Real Madrid as they ended a season trophy-less for the first time since 2008 - also resulted in technical director Eric Abidal being replaced by assistant Ramon Planes, while head coach Quique Setien was sacked after only seven months in charge and succeeded by club legend Ronald Koeman.
And while Farre suggested that the former Netherlands boss - described as a "good solution" to the issues currently ailing Barcelona - would stay on under his leadership if he adapted well to the "enormous" challenge ahead, he also claimed that discussions were already under way with Klopp, a revered figure on Merseyside who recently led Liverpool to their first domestic league title for three decades.
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"If Koeman works and does well, he would be, of course," Farre told Catalan publication Sport.
“Obviously, we have our roadmap and we had already started several conversations with Jurgen Klopp, because it seems to us that Barca need such a coach."
Former Borussia Dortmund stalwart Klopp is under contract at Liverpool until 2024 after signing a new five-year deal last year and recently reiterated his desire to take a 12-month sabbatical after that, with a return to management then only coming if he feels he "misses football" during that period.
Meanwhile, Koeman penned an initial two-year contract with Barcelona - his first club job since being sacked by Everton in October 2017 - lasting until June 2022.