Brendan Rodgers cut to just 3/1 to replace Ronald Koeman as Barcelona manager

Brendan Rodgers can now be backed at just 3/1 (Bet Victor) to become the next Barcelona manager, having previously been out at 50/1.

The Leicester City boss has long been an admirer of Barcelona; the club’s identity, playing style, and youth model. "Barcelona has always been a love of mine,” he previously told The Coaches Voice. 

“Their philosophy really struck home with me. They had a clear way of playing, that was defined around having the ball, getting the ball back as quick as you can.

“Their model had a huge impact in my development as a young coach, hence the reason when I then started to coach, and then started to oversee coaching programmes, my methodology was a fusion between the british mentality and the ideas of aggression and strength and power.”

In the past, the 48-year-old has stated his intent to manage in Spain one day. As a young coach, he spent time in the country where he studied the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia and later Vicente del Bosque's successful Spanish side at their Euro 2012 training camp.

He speaks Spanish to a decent level too; he studied the language for six years in order to help his communication with players from Spain and South America.

Only Rodgers knows if it's the right time for him to live out his dream and manage in Spain. Despite the club's on-going problems, Barcelona could well prove extremely difficult to turn down should they actually be interested in appointing the Ulsterman as their new manager.

Rodgers, whose Leicester contract runs to 2025, was linked with Tottenham in the summer but was quick to swat away speculation as he committed himself to his current project.

Rodgers’ injury-hit side haven’t got off to the best of starts to the new season, however the work he’s done at the club since his appointment in early 2019 has been very impressive.

Rodgers has successfully implemented a clear playing style, led the Foxes to back-to-back top-five finishes - which could easily have been top-four finishes - and then won the club their first ever FA Cup.

After weeks of intense hearsay, Ronald Koeman appears safe at Barcelona. For the moment at least.

A wretched start to the season leaves Barcelona 9th in La Liga and alarmingly pointless in the Champions League, which have combined to put severe doubt on Koeman’s future as manager.

But despite losing (again) to Atletico Madrid last weekend, the Dutchman has continued to be backed by President Joan Laporta - perhaps due to the reported £6m it would cost to sack the former Everton boss - who reiterated his faith in the boss on Friday, as tweeted by Fabrizio Romano.

There’s no doubt that Koeman has been significantly hindered by the club’s well-publicised financial turmoil and the loss of star man Lionel Messi, but there’s no escaping the fact that he’s under pressure.

Football is a results business and if Koeman can’t turn the tide soon then Barcelona will surely find someone who can. The next three games could well be pivotal, as the Catalan club face home clashes against Valencia, Dinamo Kiev, then most importantly Real Madrid.

As for other names in the frame who could succeed Koeman if he left, Xavi remains top of the market at 2/1.

A video recently went viral of his side Al-Sadd scoring an incredible team goal, reminiscent of the Barcelona of old, with many Barca fans hoping that the club legend will return in the near future.

Al-Sadd won the league title last season and have since made a 100% winning start to the new season.

Former Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo remains surprisingly short at just 9/4 (William Hill), while Roberto Martinez’s future at Belgium is in doubt following their collapse against France in the Nations League.

If Barcelona decide to make a managerial change around Christmas then that could potentially work out nicely for Marcelo Gallardo, whose River Plate contract expires at the end of December - you can read more about the 5/1 shot below.