While much of the attention around Barcelona focuses on new signings during the summer transfer window, the departures could prove just as crucial, especially with the club’s ongoing battle to stay within La Liga’s salary cap.
According to reports confirmed by SoftFootball, five players are currently on the chopping block as manager Hansi Flick and Deco, the director of football, work swiftly to reshape the squad and balance the books.
One unsurprising name on that list is club captain Marc-André ter Stegen. The veteran goalkeeper’s future now looks uncertain after Barcelona extended the contract of Wojciech Szczęsny on a two-year deal and brought in Joan Garcia from city rivals Espanyol.
With four senior goalkeepers currently on the books, Barça clearly need to cut that number down to two.
Sources say Ter Stegen is no longer considered part of the long-term project, although moving him on won’t be simple due to his contract and stature. Iñaki Peña, another goalkeeper, is also seeking a move away, while Pau Víctor will be allowed to leave if the right offer comes in.
Another player Barcelona hope to sell is Andreas Christensen, though the Danish defender has shown no indication he wants to depart this summer. Unless that changes, he may remain part of the squad going into the new campaign.
The fifth name on the list is Oriol Romeu. The 33-year-old spent last season on loan at Girona and has one year left on his deal. Romeu is not in Flick’s plans but is said to be waiting on a frank discussion with the manager before making any final decisions.
According to Marca, Barcelona are open to terminating his contract, but the amount of money Romeu is willing to walk away from could delay any agreement. That said, a return to Girona appears to be his most likely destination.
The Catalan side are eager to bring him back, but won’t pay a transfer fee. The idea is for the situation to be resolved before Barcelona embark on their preseason tour of Japan and South Korea. Romeu previously spent two of the last three seasons at Montilivi, returning to Barça last summer in a €3.4 million deal.
Softfootball earlier reported that Barcelona recently signed highly rated Swedish winger Roony Bardghji and confirmed the arrival of Joan Garcia, further increasing pressure to reduce their wage bill.
While exciting additions are on the way, the club understands that letting go of surplus players is essential if they want to remain financially compliant and competitive.
