Barcelona want Luis Enrique to continue with the club beyond the current campaign but will not begin talks over a potential new contract until at least April.
The Barca coach's current deal expires in the summer and he has made it clear that he has no intention of looking beyond that point at the moment.
However, president Josep Maria Bartomeu insists he wants Luis Enrique to stay at the club, regardless of how this season unfolds on the pitch.
"Our desire is that Luis Enrique continues in the job, but we've agreed with him that until April we will not talk about next season," Bartomeu told beIN Sports in quotes reported by Sport.
"Even if [Barca] didn't win any titles [this season], he's the manager we want. There will be time to talk."
Luis Enrique took over at Camp Nou in 2014, signing a two-year deal, but there were fears he would walk away after winning the Treble in his first season.
However, with the club about to enter an electoral process at that point, he eventually committed to the cause by adding an additional year to his contract.
That contract expires in 2017, though, and Luis Enrique has been keen to ignore questions about whether his tenure will extend to a fourth season.
"I will not decide my future until June 30," he said in preseason. "If it were down to me, I would make contracts for two weeks or one month at a time. The present is what appeals to me, the present excites me and I am focused on that."
Pressed on the subject a week later, he added: "The club know my opinion already and I don't have anything to say.
"I already said what I was thinking about my renewal in my first news conference. I'm not interested at all in talking about it."
Barca have always maintained that renewing Luis Enrique's deal is a priority and vice-president Jordi Mestre even suggested earlier this year that talks could begin in January.
"The first option is Luis Enrique, Luis Enrique is the second and the third is also 'Lucho,'" he said. We are not in a hurry and I don't think he is, but we will make an offer to him, for sure. Towards January? Yes, more or less around then."
The Blaugrana are also in the process of tying down key first team players, with Luis Suarez the latest to commit his future to the club on Thursday and Lionel Messi potentially following suit in the near future.