De Boer
De Boer had won three Eredivisie League at Ajax.

Barcelona are reportedly considering hiring Ajax manager Frank De Boer, who has been earmarked as one of the main candidates to replace Tim Sherwood at Tottenham should Spurs decide to part with him at the end of the current campaign.

News of Barca's interest comes after De Boer's brother Ronald revealed the former Holland international turned down a move to White Hart Lane in December, following Andre Villas-Boas' dismissal.

Even though Sherwood signed a contract until summer 2015, reports claimed last month that he will lose his job should his side fail to secure the Premier League top four spot which brings entry to the Champions League.

Some reports suggest the Ajax boss is at the top of a short-list of candidates to manage the Spurs, which also includes former England coach Fabio Capello, Holland manager Louis Van Gaal, Italian Cesare Prandelli and former Swansea boss Michael Laudrup.

But according to Dutch newspaper DA, Spurs will have to fight with Barcelona to secure De Boer, as he is also one of the candidates to replace current boss Gerardo Martino at the Nou Camp.

The reports claims that Barcelona love De Boer's passing style and are further swayed by his successful spell at the Nou Camp as a player.

The Ajax boss, who signed a new four-year contract with the Eredivisie champions in May 2013, has garnered a reputation as one of the best young managers around Europe, winning three successive titles in his first three seasons at the club.

Nevertheless, earlier this week Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu claims that they still have confidence in Martino and that they expect him to stay next season.

"We'd like him to continue and his contract says that. I hope Tata has a long career as the manager of Barcelona, but the day that changes, we have to have a technical staff and we'll look for the best possible option," Bartomeu said.