Barcelona put five players up for sale ahead of January window

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 17 May 2021 22:30 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona are set to sell five first team players in a bid to tackle the club’s precarious situation and making money available to buy new players in the January transfer window. 

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan giants intend to offer Ousmane Dembele, Samuel Umtiti, Carles Alena, Junior Firpo and Martin Braithwaite to potential suitors in the coming months. 

In a bid to turn the club’s financial and sporting fortunes around, Lyon forward Memphis Depay and Manchester City defender Eric Garcia have been identified as potential upgrades for Ronaldo Koeman’s squad. 

• Tottenham statement fuels Kane departure talk as Man Utd and Chelsea circle

Yet Barcelona’s interim president, Carles Tusquets, has reportedly told the Dutch manager that the club must sell players first before adding to his squad. 

A number of the players earmarked for moves are little more than back-up members of the squad, yet Umtiti and Dembele will undoubtedly be players that Barca will hope to receive full transfer fees for. 

Although Umtiti has yet to play a single minute of football under Koeman, at 26 years of age the French defender has still to reach his peak and could be an asset to a number of top European sides. 

Similarly, Dembele may not have shown the same promise and consistency as he did at Borussia Dortmund before making the move to Barcelona for €105 million but at 23 years of age the young forward still has plenty to offer and could move on for a fee similar to the one he arrived with. 

While Barcelona will be hopeful of using some of the transfer fees to fund the arrival of new players, the priority will surely be on making up the shortfall in income from the coronavirus pandemic. 

The club have confirmed that they are currently trying to make up a sum of €300 million this season and have asked first team players to consider a wage cut in a bid to break even before the end of the season. 

Speaking to Spanish media on Friday, presidential candidate Toni Freixa admitted that even Lionel Messi will have to consider taking a significant cut if he hopes to stay at the club. 

“With Leo [Messi] we will speak calmly, face to face with the best for Barca on the horizon,” said Freixa. 

“To him, as to all the players who have to renew or come, we will make an offer that of course will not be able to match the conditions that he has had until now.”