Barcelona plan a massive January overhaul to impress Lionel Messi

Barcelona are looking to make some huge changes in January itself and hope that they may be enough to keep the captain at the club for longer than 2021.

Barcelona are now less than two months away from potentially losing Lionel Messi on a pre-contract agreement for the next season and beyond. While that remains an option, it’s more likely than not that the Argentina international will hang on at the club until the next president is elected and make a concrete decision after seeing the prospective plans.

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For the time being, Carles Tusquets has not approached the 6-time Ballon d’Or winner over an extension, but he is certainly taking steps to build a better squad that will possibly persuade the club’s greatest player to stay. Having said that, some of the operations may be undertaken in January itself, as per the Mundo Deportivo reports.

Lyon superstar Memphis Depay and Manchester City starlet Eric Garcia remain the club’s targets for the winter, and despite being available for free at the end of the campaign, the club would not mind spending a reasonable sum considering the dire need of a revamp which this current squad needs and the centre-back will be a super addition, no doubt.

While signing players remains a priority too, their crippled financial situation means that Barcelona must also sell players. In a bid to do so, they will listen to offers for no less than five of their players. Carles Alena, Riqui Puig, Martin Braithwaite, Ousmane Dembele, Junior Firpo and Samuel Umtiti are all those who have unclear futures at the club.

The midfielders, Alena and Puig, have barely played this season. As a matter of fact, there is talk that they have been training with the reserve sides as a result of not being included in Ronald Koeman’s plans. Firpo and Umtiti on the other hand seem to have no trust from their manager, as even Sergino Dest and Ronald Araujo have been used more frequently.

Dembele’s issues are different. With Ansu Fati having been ruled out for a significant time, the club may opt in favour of keeping him. However, the Frenchman’s own on and off field issues would certainly not give him security at the club and should they wish to clear up a significant portion of their sky-high wage bill, then they may sell the ex-Dortmund man.

Do you think Messi will be convinced enough by the Blaugrana?