5 possible replacements for Luis Enrique at Barcelona

2. Phillip Cocu

For every reason de Boer could be a candidate, PSV boss Cocu should also be considered.

Domestic success in Holland, understanding the system and a previous stint in Catalonia apply to Cocu, too, and his career is arguably on a more upward trajectory than his former team-mate’s.

Cocu was given the reigns at the Philips Stadion in 2013, and won the Eredivisie two years later. He has the kind of cool, calm demeanour and winning mentality which suggests he could one day make it to the top of the managerial tree one day, but few jobs are more demanding than Barcelona, and there would be an element of risk involved.

Whoever takes the job will likely watch over the biggest transition in the recent history of the club, with Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique and even Lionel Messi perhaps having to think about their next step relatively soon.

The former Holland defender is now 46, meaning that in coaching terms there may be a lot more for him to learn. He will continue to improve and his time at PSV could soon come to an end, but he would be better suited making a smaller leap before taking on the pressure of coaching Barcelona.

He should take lessons from de Boer’s career since leaving Ajax, but there is less of a case for a move to the Camp Nou for Cocu, at least immediately.