Barcelona fans can rule out Roberto de Zerbi replacing Xavi for this primary reason

Barcelona legend Xavi is struggling to live up to his immense reputation at the club during his playing days. Now the head coach in Spain, the La Liga giants are struggling for form and are currently topped by Girona and Real Madrid.

This could be because Xavi has the footballing knowledge, but he lacks the experience as manager to put this into practice. After all, as important as keeping a level footballing head is, it doesn't neglect the importance of having the experience on your shoulders.

Barcelona fans can rule out Roberto De Zerbi replacing Xavi for this primary reason

When it comes to combining experience with excellent footballing IQ, there aren't many available managers out there. However, there is one who sticks out above the rest and his name is Roberto de Zerbi.

Roberto de Zerbi is one the most prolific tactical minds in soccer, currently. The manager of Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League has went through a long journey in his managerial career, which started in 2013. Now, he has Brighton competing in the Europa League, which seemed impossible before he joined.

De Zerbi is one of the managers linked with the Barcelona job, when Xavi steps down at the end of the season. However, according to a report from journalist Matteo Moretto, Barcelona cannot afford to pay the fees it would require to steal De Zerbi from his Brighton role.

Therefore, Barcelona fans should drop any hope they had of Roberto de Zerbi being the face of Barcelona next season. It was always unlikely the club would bring a manager like De Zerbi in, given the circumstances of Financial Fair Play breathing down their necks.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of options out there for Barcelona to consider. As per Sport, Thomas Tuchel is one of the options Barcelona have in mind, as the German coach is struggling in his role at Bayern Munich.

Who do you think will join Barcelona as their Xavi replacement?