The five players Barcelona must sell after Champions League humiliation

FT Desk

• 27 Oct 2022 06:00 CDT
• 4 min read

Barcelona are out of the Champions League after spending €153 million on the summer transfer window. Heads must roll, but which ones?

Fans appear to be divided 50/50 on whether Xavi deserves to keep his job as manager or not, but there are some players who already have less rope with which to hang themselves.

Football Transfer picks out five players who simply aren't good enough for Barcelona…

Raphinha

Some €50m of Barca's summer outlay was spent on Raphinha, who swapped Leeds for the Camp Nou in July, but the Brazilian has flattered to deceive so far, with only one goal and one assist from 14 games in all competitions so far.

Barca are spoiled for choice out wide with Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres also on the books, and it this rate, they might as well see if Chelsea remain interested in Raphinha's services having beaten the Blues to his signature this summer.

Franck Kessie

Franck Kessie may only have cost a signing on fee and wages compared to Raphinha having joined on a free from AC Milan, but the Ivorian's impact has been minimal, with just four starts in all competitions.

Injuries haven't helped the midfielder, but with Frenkie de Jong now staying and Gavi and Pedri - the last two Kopa Trophy winners - each handed new contracts with €1 billion release clauses, the path to further first-team inclusion is justifiably blocked for Kessie.

Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique has been one of world football's best centre-backs in his time, an eight-time La Liga winner with three Champions Leagues as well as a World Cup with Spain to his name, but Father Time is an undefeated world champion, and at 35, Pique is starting to lose that battle.

Looks off the pace in games, has reportedly fallen out with Xavi, and with Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde also now there to call upon, it is time to thank Pique for his service and move on.

Memphis Depay

Memphis Depay looked likely to follow Philippe Coutinho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of the Camp Nou exit door this summer, but moves to Juventus or Manchester United never materialised and he stayed put.

Barca simply don't need him with Robert Lewandowski and Co. in the final third, and a swap deal with Liverpool's Bobby Firmino in January would be preferable to losing the Dutchman on a free next summer.

Jordi Alba

Another club captain, Jordi Alba was there for most of the same trophies Pique won with club and country, but he is no longer able to keep the 19-year-old Alex Balde out the team at left-back.

Like Pique, has a contract at Camp Nou that runs until 30 June 2024 and needs to be offloaded before then. Inter Milan were credited with an interest in the summer.