Athletic Bilbao president Josu Urrutia has said that coach Ernesto Valverde's future at the club is up in the air amid speculation the Spaniard could take charge of Barcelona next season.
Valverde's contract expires this summer and he is a reported candidate to succeed Luis Enrique following the decision of the Barca coach to leave his post in the summer.
Bilbao-based newspaper El Correo claims that former Athletic star Jose Angel "Cuco" Ziganda will be promoted to head coach should Valverde leave at the end of the campaign. Ziganda has been at the helm of the club's reserves, Bilbao Athletic, since 2011.
Asked if that would be the case, Urrutia told his club's website: "I cannot anticipate what will happen. Valverde is in his fourth year with us.
"At around this time last season, he signed a contract extension. We will have to have a chat with him to see how he feels and whether he is the best coach for us next season or not.
"That conversation needs to take place as it has occurred in previous years and we will see what happens.
"Right now Ernesto is focused on ensuring that the team performs to this [high] level and so are we.
"Once we have clear if Ernesto is the right person for next season, that he also sees himself with energy to continue, we will make that public."
A former Athletic forward, Valverde, who played for Barcelona from 1988 until 1990, has remained tight-lipped about the future.
Aduriz "No tengo ni idea que va a pasar con Valverde. Nosotros estamos muy contentos de estar a sus órdenes." #athlive
- Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) March 9, 2017
"I have no idea what's going to happen to Valverde," Athletic forward Aritz Aduriz admitted in a news conference on Thursday. "But we are very happy to work under him."
Valverde took over for his second spell in charge in 2013 and guided Athletic to a fourth place finish in the 2013-14 campaign and a spot the Champions League for the first time in 16 years.
On Aug. 2015, Valverde led Los Leones to their first major trophy in over three decades with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
The 53-year-old last month overtook Javier Clemente's mark of 289 games in charge as the coach to have guided Athletic in the biggest number of official games.
Athletic are seventh in La Liga and play away to Real Sociedad on Sunday in a Basque derby.