Ernesto Valverde Leaves Athletic Bilbao Amid Rumours He Will Join Barcelona

Athletic Bilbao announced on Tuesday that manager Ernesto Valverde will leave the club amid ongoing rumours suggesting he will succeed Luis Enrique in the top job at Barcelona.

Per PA Sport (via ESPN FC), Barca will reveal their new coach on May 29, and some reports have suggested an agreement has already been reached with Valverde, 53, while an Athletic statement read:

"Ernesto Valverde will not continue as coach of the first team of Athletic Club in the 2017-18 campaign. The coach, accompanied by president Josu Urrutia, will hold a press conference on Wednesday, May 24 at 1200 (local time) at San Mames."

Mundo Deportivo (via Football Espana) reported Valverde will sign a three-year deal with Barcelona:

Valverde's Athletic contract was set to expire in June after he penned a new deal with the club early last year, having taken charge in 2013 for his second spell as manager.

He has been one of the front-runners to take over at Barcelona since Enrique announced he would leave the Camp Nou back in March.

Valverde played for the Blaugrana from 1988 to 1990 and won a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and a Copa del Rey with the club.

As well as Athletic, he has also managed Espanyol, Olympiakos, Villarreal and Valencia.

Should Valverde take over at Barca he would be charged with winning La Liga after the Catalans lost out to Real Madrid in 2016-17, and he would also be expected to go deep in the UEFA Champions League next season. 

The majority of the silverware he has won as a manager so far in his career came during his two spells in Greece, when he led Olympiakos to three league titles and two Greek Cup victories.