The five Barcelona players who could leave in January

Tom Weber

• 4 Jan 2024 17:51 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona are still mired in financial troubles so January could be an opportunity for the Blaugrana to raise some much-needed funds.

Head coach Xavi would like to strengthen his midfield, but the club are lacking the resources to sanction any deals in that department. Selling players could alleviate the problem, but potentially raises more issues as the cash-strapped Catalans have a pretty thin squad due to their financial problems.

Nevertheless, here are five Barcelona players who could be on the move in January.

Oriol Romeu

Perhaps the most likely candidate to leave in the winter window is a player who only arrived in the summer. Oriol Romeu was signed as a stopgap solution to plug the defensive midfield hole left by the departure of Sergio Busquets, but the former Chelsea man appears to already be heading for the exit.

The veteran has made 19 appearances this term but has not been the solution to the defensive midfield problem. The 32-year-old has been heavily linked with a return to high-flying Girona, and high-ranking figures at Barcelona's Catalan neighbours have already admitted that they would like to bring him back.

Raphinha

Another player frequently linked with a departure is Raphinha. The Brazilian winger has often been touted as the player to flush some much-needed money in the club's coffers, being repeatedly associated with a return to the Premier League.

The likes of Newcastle United, Tottenham and Manchester United have been said to be interested in the former Leeds man, but Barcelona's supposed €100 million valuation is proving a major hurdle. Nevertheless, he is a prime candidate to be cashed in on in January.

Marcos Alonso

Another veteran who appears to be heading for the exit in 2024 is Marcos Alonso. Like Romeu a former Chelsea man, Alonso has only made seven appearances this term.

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed in November that the Spaniard was in talks with Atletico Madrid and a departure is looking increasingly likely, not least because his contract is up in the summer, though Barcelona have the option for a further year. Selling him in January could yield at least a nominal fee.

Clement Lenglet

The final two players on this list are players who aren't currently at Barcelona. The first one is Clement Lenglet. The Frenchman is struggling for game time at high-flying Aston Villa and could have his loan cut short in January.

AC Milan, in the midst of an injury crisis, have shown a major interest in signing the 28-year-old, who already spent last season out on loan. His time at Barcelona is coming to an end and Milan could pursue a deal in the winter window.

Sergino Dest

The second loanee to depart Barcelona in 2024 is Sergino Dest. While not at risk of having his loan terminated, the USMNT right-back will likely have his deal made permanent and it could happen as early as January.

Having impressed for table-topping PSV in the Eredivisie, club director Earnest Stewart recently admitted that the club's intention is to make his loan permanent. Technically, this can happen at any time, but as it may happen in January, we will include the 23-year-old here.