Barcelona can ask for little more from Hansi Flick, who has delivered back-to-back LaLiga titles already, but that doesn't mean there are no plans for what comes next.
The German head coach has offered a calm and assured hand at the helm at Camp Nou, and there are no doubts that he is the rigth man to lead this exciting young Barca squad.
Fabregas could be next
But the Spanish media is always going to contemplate the future, and Diario AS have reported that Barca have already sounded out Cesc Fabregas as the next manager when Flick theoretically leaves in 2028.
Flick has a contract until 2028, but the Blaugrana do have the option to extend that deal by a further year should the two parties agree to continue their relationship.
As mentioned, Flick's job security coudln't be much higher, and while the club will want to see some progress in the Champions League, there is an understanding that the German does likely need more experienced and polished players to accomplish that, given it is conditional on beating the likes of PSG, Bayern Munich and Arsenal.
Still, the report suggests Fabregas is clearly the leading candidate to take over when Flick does eventually leave, with the former Barca midfielder doing well with his first club as a manager in Como.
Barca should pump the breaks
There is a real buzz around Fabregas at the moment after he led Como to a top four Serie A finish this season. The midfielder is no doubt helped by the current buzz around Spanish managers, too, given the success of Andoni Iraola, Mikel Arteta and others.
Everyone in Europe seems to want the next edition of one of those Spanish managers, and Fabregas is likely the next to come through, with Chelsea having strongly considered him this summer.
But the reality is that we have only seen Fabregas as a manager for a couple of years, and only in one league. Not to take away from his work, which has been impressive, but he has also been backed by a wealthy project, and this season also saw AC Milan and Juventus both have very disappointing campaigns, which certainly helps.
If Barca want to consider Fabregas, they need to see him succeed over a number of years, and preferably, with a number of clubs before he is given as big a job as the Camp Nou job.
Shortlist him, sure, but the minds of the Barca chiefs should be a long way from made up at this point.
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