Three out-of-favour Barcelona stars could be offloaded by June 30
Barcelona’s transfer window strategy is picking up heat. Necessitated to act swiftly, the club must carry out an array of exits before successfully integrating new players into the squad.
Shorthanded by the financial implications imposed by La Liga, ensuring the exit door is not left barren is a crucial condition for Barcelona to execute the list of signings they have drawn up.
According to SPORT, the Blaugrana board pays close attention to the exits of players who are unimportant to Xavi, especially those who have just returned from loans and are expensive for the team.
These players are Gustavo Maia, Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Sergino Dest, and Collado. The combined cost of the five will exceed €50 million for Barça in the upcoming season.
As such, the La Liga champions are keen to offload them as soon as possible this summer. And, as per the report, three of them – Lenglet, Umtiti, and Collado, could be out of the club by June 30.
Lenglet is reported to be the first departure out of the aforementioned names. The French central defender has returned from Spurs after completing his loan, but the English club is said to be pleased with his performance and are in talks over a permanent transfer, willing to offer €5 million for him.
After that, Umtiti and Collado may be the ones bidding their farewell. Umtiti, in particular, has a high chance of finding a new destination soon, following his resurgence in Leece.
There is interest in him from Saudi Arabia and Lyon. The Frenchman offering resistance regarding a move is improbable considering his upward trajectory since going out on loan.
Collado is the third player that is reported to move on shortly. He is already aware that he is not a member of the first squad, and even his representative has been approached by Las Palmas, Granada, and a few Greek teams.
Barça may grant him a letter of independence while holding back a portion of a future sale. To play for one of these teams, the player must reduce his wage.
In addition to these players, Dest and Gustavo Maia are also on the exit ramp. The young players are unlikely to generate considerable fees, but free up salary margins.