Report: Pochettino prime candidate to replace Setien as Barca boss

Mauricio Pochettino is in pole position to take over as Barcelona manager when current boss Quique Setien is fired, reports Sid Lowe of The Guardian.

Setien's dismissal is expected to be finalized on Monday following the Catalan club's humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal, Lowe adds. The decision, to be ratified at a board meeting, could usher in a host of "key changes" at the Camp Nou in the coming weeks.

Pochettino, who played for and then managed Barcelona's local rivals Espanyol, has tried to distance himself from previous remarks in which he said he would never cross that Catalan divide.

"I was trying to quash the rumors (at the time) in a dramatic way," he told El Pais, as translated by The Guardian. "I'm not arrogant and I didn't like saying that. Maybe I wouldn't do it now, because you never know what will happen."

Pochettino met with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu last week over dinner, according to Spanish outlet Cadena Ser, fueling rumors that a move is imminent.

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss, fired by the Premier League side in November, was believed to be a candidate for the Barcelona job after Ernesto Valverde was dismissed in January.

Former midfielder Xavi Hernandez turned down the role at the time, leading Barca to decide on Setien.

Barca's new manager, whoever is picked after the 61-year-old's expected firing, will likely enter an evolving situation. In the wake of Friday's humbling defeat, Barcelona stalwart Gerard Pique said the club needs structural changes that go beyond the players on the pitch.