The FC Barcelona is in a situation of absolute blockade because of the immobility in the exitsProof of this is the signing of the Brazilian Vitor Roque, who will have to wait until January 2024 as there is no salary margin right now to sign him up. In addition, Barcelona has 30 first team players -including the two signings: Ilkay Gündogan and Iñigo Martínez-, a completely unassumable circumstance, and even more so for Xavi Hernández, used to managing squads of no more than 23 troops. If we add to this that the team still needs at least two more reinforcements, it seems clear that an intense and winding summer is ahead for the club’s sports director, Mateu Alemany.
And it is that at least Barcelona has to get rid of eight players. For now, only the contract termination of Samuel Umtiti has been made effective. The rest of those assigned -a total of five- will rejoin this Monday. Cases like those of Clement Lenglet and Sergiño Dest are worrying and occupying the club as they are players with very high chips, who want to be transferred at any cost. With others like Nico and Álex Collado there is not such a rush, although his future, at least in the short term, points out of Barcelona, while the Moroccan Ezra Abde is the only one who has options to stay, although if an irresistible offer arrives he could end up leaving.
In addition to these four departures, there are five players from the current squad in the spotlight. First, Pablo Torre, with many options to leave on loan: The coaches consider that he needs continuity so as not to stop his progression after having completed a year of apprenticeship in the first team. The others are more tricky cases with little room for manoeuvre. Only Franck Kessié would be willing to accept an exit, after the conversation he had with Xavi a few weeks ago, as long as the offer is very beneficial.. Ferran Torres is another of the mentioned players, although his departure is complicated by being a player who still has many millions left to repay, while Eric Garcia, despite having the endorsement of the coaches, could end up leaving if an offer arrives interesting. The last name on the discard list is Ansu Fati, although his refusal to leave the club is being highly valued by the sports management, which could end up giving him one last chance.
In any case, of these last four players, three will have to pack their bags. Otherwise, it will be difficult for Alemany and Deco to satisfy all of Xavi’s needs, so the squad would be unbalanced in one way or another.
If Alemany finally manages to close the eight players, Barcelona could face two more players this summer to definitively complete the squad: the defensive midfielder and the right-back. In this way, Xavi would add a total of 24 troops to the squad, leaving a place for Vitor Roque, who would join in January 2024 if there is no Copernican twist in the script.