UCL-winning manager has offered himself to Barcelona, club not keen on hiring him due to one key reason - Reports

UEFA Champions League-winning manager Hansi Flick has offered himself to Spanish giants Barcelona but the club are not keen on hiring him due to his reluctance to give opportunities to young talents, according to reports from Sport.

After manager Xavi announced his departure at the end of the season, the Catalan side have been desperately looking for a replacement, with the likes of Bologna's Thiago Motta, Brighton's Roberto de Zerbi and Flick said to be in the running.

Flick won a historic sextuple in 2020 with German giants Bayern Munich, becoming only the second club to achieve that feat after Barcelona themselves in 2009. He was also an assistant coach for Germany during their triumph in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

After his stint at Bayern, he took over the German national side but became the first manager in history to be sacked from that role in September 2023.

Flick's agent Pini Zahavi is reportedly pushing for the Catalans to appoint him as their manager. However, the Barca board are having second thoughts, considering that the German traditionally prefers experienced and well-established players over academy products.

Barca's long-term project involves a great focus on their youth academy, the La Masia, which is presumed to be one of the best talent factories in the world. The club's finances are still in disarray, and they are clear in their decision to build a world-class, future-proof squad through the youth academy.

Flick's name is still on the table for Barcelona but it appears highly unlikely that he takes over the top job at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona's 15-year-old La Masia star continues to dominate in the youth setup

Barca have seemingly unearthed another elite attacking talent from their La Masia academy in the form of 15-year-old Guille Fernandez.

The youngster has been switching between Barca's Juvenil A (Under-19) and Juvenil B (Under-18) sides, consistently playing and dominating against players at higher age levels.

In the last month, Fernandez showed off his scoring capabilities by netting an astonishing nine goals (one for Juvenil A, four for Juvenil B and four for the Under-17 team). He has even been called up to Barca's B team, Barcelona Atletic, which plays in the third division of Spanish football.

The youngster has also trained under current senior team boss Xavi, which has solidified his resourcefulness and versatility in the midfield. With Barcelona experiencing a youth revolution in the senior squad, Fernandez looks set to be the newest addition to a thriving group of young players at the Camp Nou.