Konula: La Liga, Barcelona, Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien
The managerial change at the Camp Nou increasingly seems imminent.

Unofficial reports by the Spanish press have hinted at the imminent sack of Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde. The 55-year-old Spanish manager featured in the Blaugrana's training session on Monday but is apparently set to be laid off duty with his replacement being lined up.

The future of the former Athletic Club manager has been a subject of discussion for most part of this season and last Thursday's Spanish Kings Cup semi-final loss to Atletico Madrid seems to have served up the precedent for what currently seems inevitable. Indeed, the performance of Barcelona in recent weeks has posed a lot of questions and the fact that the Camp Nou outfit has drawn three of their last four league games certain affirms the growing concerns at the side.

Despite ranking atop La Liga, fans remain unconvinced by the direction the club is heading, hence the call for Valverde to be shown the exit door as soon as possible. On Monday, Catalunya Radio stated that the Barca boss has been informed by the club that the terms of his exit will be negotiated with his agent following a board meeting in the afternoon at Camp Nou. ESPN subsequently added that Valverde had emptied his locker at the club's training ground and is expected to bid his players farewell ahead of his sack tomorrow.

In terms of replacements, former Real Betis manager Quique Setien is increasingly becoming a favorite to take over from Ernesto Valverde after Xavi Hernandez reportedly indicated over the weekend that he is not prepared to take charge immediately. Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino also appears to be a prospective candidate although Barca could potentially appoint a caretaker manager with a view to appointing Xavi in the summer.

With regards to Quique Setien, his prospective arrival at Barcelona seems to excite many who belive that his attractive attacking style is just what the club needs after losing that identity under Ernesto Valverde.