Barcelona are planning to sell 5 players in January.
Barcelona are in some dire financial situations at the moment and they will need some drastic changes if they do not want to file for bankruptcy.
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The club has reported around 300 million euros in loss due to the current pandemic and they have to sell players as well as go lower the wages of the players in their team. The club is the highest paying club in all of Europe and their player’s salary takes up 70% of the club’s budget. This is something they need to change immediately.
The previous management led by the former president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, had already sold multiple aging players like Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, along with others like Nelson Semedo and Arthur Melo.
While their transfer fees did not account for much, their wages were costing the club an enormous amount. But despite all these departures, Barca have not recovered their finances and must continue to sell players before signing any more reinforcements.
The club along with Koeman recognized 5 players who are no longer required at the club and are just using up resources. These unfortunate players who have been transfer-listed are:
Ousmane Dembele – The Struggling Barcelona Winger
The French winger who was brought to the club to be Neymar’s replacement has been a disappointment throughout his time with the Catalan side. His lacklustre attitude on the training pitch with his injury-prone nature was the perfect recipe for disaster. Koeman thought that he could get around seventy million euros for the fourth choice winger as Manchester United were interested in the player however, to everyone’s surprise, Dembele decided to stay at the club and fight for his place. His latest stunt has not pleased the board at all as they were hoping to buy Memphis Depay with the money made from his transfer. It will not be surprising if the 23-year-old is shifted to some other club in January or at the end of the season.
Martin Braithwaite – The Unwanted Barcelona Striker
After selling off Luis Suarez to arch-rivals, Atletico Madrid, Barca were left with only one proper number 9. His name is Martin Braithwaite and he is one of the additions that Quique Setien made to the club in his short tenure. Braithwaite was supposed to be a backup striker to Suarez but after the latter’s exit, many thought that Braithwaite would be given a chance to prove himself. However, Koeman was not impressed by the player and instead decided to play without a number 9. The 29-year-old has only played thirty-seven minutes this season and they are trying to shift him to another La Liga club in the next transfer window.
Samuel Umtiti – The Struggling Barcelona Center-back
Samuel Umtiti was once a regular in Barcelona’s squad. The French center-back alongside Gerard Pique made a legitimately intimidating duo. His efforts even helped him win the 2018 FIFA World Cup and it seemed like he was at the top of his form, however, this was far from the truth. The French player played through an injury in the World Cup and ended up seriously aggravating the problem. Even after surgery, the player could not find his form back and ended up making costly mistakes for the Catalan club. Barca will be hoping to move him on to a different club as it would help their financial situation, as well as help, Umtiti to revive his career.
Carles Alena – The Unwanted Barcelona Midfielder
The case of Carles Alena is a bit more unfortunate. A product of La Masia, Alena spent his whole childhood under Barcelona but has now been deemed as surplus by the club. The 22-year-old has made only 1 appearance so far and it is unlikely that he will make even one start this season unless there is an injury. The midfield is quite saturated with young and established talents at the moment and due to their financial condition, the club has to let go of players such as Alena who make no impact throughout the season.
Junior Firpo – Another Barcelona Reject Under Koeman
Junior Firpo is another youngster who has not yet found his luck with the new coach. Under the previous coach, the left-back managed to play twenty-three games but his luck has run out and it seems as if Koeman prefers Jordi Alba over the youngster. Firpo like Nelson Semedo is often found out of position which leaves their wing very vulnerable. This sort of inconsistency with lack of concentration is probably the reason as to why Alba is almost always chosen over the 24-year-old. He might also be given the same treatment as Semedo who now finds himself in the Premier League playing for Wolves while young talent from Ajax, Sergino Dest, took his place in the club.
Do you agree with the list of players being sold?