FC Barcelona has often been cited as the future home base of great European players for several weeks: Haaland, Lewandowski, Lukaku and even Christensen are notably cited with more or less insistence. The Catalans absolutely want to strengthen in view of the next season to allow Xavi to be armed to fight for the title.
But given their financial problems, the Blaugranas will first have to sell before they can buy. According to Mundo Deportivo, nearly a dozen players, not counting the players on loan still belonging to Barça, should leave the Barcelona ship next season. Among them, some folders will be easier than others. In particular that of Neto, second goalkeeper of the Blaugranas and already very close to a departure next winter. He has a contract until 2023 but would be willing to leave the club in the event of a good offer. Barça will not retain him especially since behind ter Stegen, the Catalans still have Iñaki Peña (on loan to Galatasaray) and Arnau Tenas (keeper of the B team) under contract and who could take over Neto’s place.
Another probable departure in Catalonia, that of Riqui Puig. The young Spaniard has been receiving very little playing time since Xavi’s arrival and is expected to be loaned out next season to gain experience, according to Mundo Deportivo. Same case for Oscar Mingueza who joined the team at the start of the season before gradually disappearing under Xavi.
Other files are more complex. Dani Alves is coming to the end of his contract. Xavi is happy with his performances but Barça would still not have offered him anything for an additional season. The cases of Clément Lenglet, Martin Braithwaite and Samuel Umtiti are similar. These three players have a long-term contract but hardly ever play under Xavi. The first two have an exit clause of 300 million euros but the club would accept much lower offers from other clubs. Umtiti, on the other hand, could stay if he manages to string together matches without physical glitches by the end of the season.
The two Dutchmen, Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay are also mentioned on the list of potential departures according to Mundo Deportivo. For the first city, a transfer this summer is still unlikely unless there is a non-refusable offer for the leaders. De Jong is a must for Xavi and gives his preference to Barca. Depay’s situation is less clear. If the Dutchman gives satisfaction when he plays, his fragility does not plead in his favor and the club may hope to sell him to pocket a good sum, he who arrived for free during the last summer transfer window.
Then, the options of players on loan should not be lifted: Adama Traoré, who arrived this winter from Wolverhampton and Luuk de Jong, on loan from Sevilla, did not bring enough and they should not stay beyond their loan.
On the other hand, Sergi Roberto, who is coming to the end of his contract, should extend quickly. According to Marca, the two parties have reached an agreement and all that is missing is the signing and the official announcement to ratify the extension. The player is expected to sign for an additional season, ie until June 2023.
If the negotiations are not as advanced for Ousmane Dembélé, optimism is in order to see the French finally extend his lease. Stayed at the club last January when he had not followed up on the extension proposal made by the Blaugranas, he had been dismissed before a comeback for several months. Negotiations between his agent and club officials have resumed and are moving in the right direction.
Finally, there are also players on loan from the Blaugrana club: Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa), Francisco Trincao (Wolverhampton), Miralem Pjanic (Besiktas), Iñaki Peña (Galatasaray) and Alex Collado (Granada). All should return to Camp Nou at the end of the season… but to start again better, either in the form of a new loan, or a final sale to raise some money. Peña is the only one who should remain as ter Stegen’s understudy. Loaned to Atlético Madrid this season, Antoine Griezmann will stay with the Colchoneros next season. According to the Spanish press, the leaders have exercised the option, which was almost automatic, for an additional season on loan. It will then be definitively bought by the Colchoneros in 2023, as agreed last summer between the two clubs.
More than ever, the transfer window promises to be agitated in Catalonia.
