The 3 Most Expendable Players for FC Barcelona during the Summer Transfer Window

1. Ilkay Gundogan: The Seasoned Vet of the first team 

Ilkay Gundogan, one of the seasoned veterans in Barcelona’s first team, finds himself at the top of this expendability list. Gundogan’s intelligence, technical skills, and leadership have been invaluable to Barca’s build-up play. His awareness and technicality in the final third are have been the key in loads of goals, and his leadership has surely rubbed off on the younger players. However, the rapid development of young midfield talents like Gavi and Pedri render Gundogan’s future at the club increasingly uncertain.

19-year-old Gavi and 20-year-old Pedri displayed immense potential and shown maturity beyond their years. Though the pair of budding Spanish talents are far from finished products, they continue to progress at an alarming rate and are likely to command more playing time during the 2024/25 campaign.

Selling Gundogan, despite his contributions, would be a strategic move for Barca. His transfer would not only relieve the Blaugrana of some burdensome wages, but Gundo’s transfer would generate a decent transfer fee, with a few Saudi clubs already showing some interest in the soon-to-be 34-year-old.

Ilkay Gundogan is only two seasons removed from a stellar campaign at Manchester, where he played an integral role in securing the club’s first-ever treble — securing the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League trophy to top off a record-breaking season. Sure, Gundo might be at the tail-end of his prime, but as he reminded the world during this past European Cup. he’s still a difference-maker in any premier club.

While it’s never easy to part with a player of Gundogan’s caliber and experience, Barca are building towards a better tomorrow and his sale might go a long way towards achieving that goal.