5 players Barcelona can offload this summer to ease their financial burden
Barcelona are a club that have drawn praise in the past for their fantastic financial planning. The Catalan giants' famed La Masia academy has often provided them with quality players who have served as the foundation of the club for several decades now. Whenever Barcelona entered the transfer market previously, it was only to fill spots in the squad that they could not fill via the academy.
However, Barcelona at present are a distant cry from the side that enjoyed their period of glory under Pep Guardiola in the early 2010s. The Blaugrana have splurged millions upon millions in the transfer market in recent years to sign the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele. None of these transfers have satisfied the fans. The club have not won the UEFA Champions League since 2015 and have only one Copa del Rey to show from their last two campaigns.
Former president Josep Maria Bartomeu has seemingly ruined the financial setting at the club, in addition to heralding the massive stagnation of La Masia. Barcelona now find themselves in enormous debt, with reports suggesting they owe up to $1.1 billion to various parties. Bartomeu has since resigned from his role, with former president Joan Laporta re-elected to bring the old Barcelona back to the fore. Laporta has a huge summer ahead of him with the Blaugrana needing to clear out plenty of deadwood ahead of the new season.
Barcelona have already confirmed deals for Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal. However, a massive exodus is needed for them to balance their account books.
Here are five players whom Barcelona should sell this summer to ease their financial burden:
#5 Philippe Coutinho
It just hasn't worked for Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona. The Brazilian joined the club from Liverpool for a reported £142 million in early 2018. Several reports have suggested Barcelona still owe the Reds some money from the transfer!
Coutinho endured a bright start to his career in Spain. The 29-year-old recorded nine goals and seven assists in 22 matches for the Catalan giants in the 2017-18 season since joining in January. However, the 2018-19 campaign saw Coutinho pushed into a left-wing role from where he was extremely ineffective. The Brazilian managed just 11 goals in 54 matches, though he did help the club win La Liga in 2018-19.
Coutinho was then sent on loan to Bayern Munich, where he won the treble and even scored twice against Barcelona in a 8-2 victory in the Champions League. He returned to Spain at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, but missed almost the entire season due to an injury.
The former Liverpool man is considered a serious liability to the club due to his astronomical wages. Coutinho is expected to be on his way out of the club this summer, with Barcelona willing to sell him for as little as £21 million.
#4 Samuel Umtiti
Samuel Umtiti arrived at Barcelona on a £20.69 million deal from Olympique Lyon back in 2016. The French centre-back was expected to revitalize an aging defense that had persisted for a long time with Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano.
Umtiti initially struggled under Luis Enrique, but grew into a colossal presence in Barcelona's backline. He won the Copa del Rey in his first season while also featuring in the Catalan giants' 'Remontada' against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Umtiti continued his dominance under Ernesto Valverde in the 2017-18 season, playing a starring role as Barcelona won the domestic double.
He then proceeded to form an incredible centre-back partnership with Real Madrid's Raphael Varane for France as they romped to victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, a persistent knee problem flared up, leading to a significant drop in performances post the World Cup. Umtiti received recommendations to undergo surgery, but chose to stick with conservative treatment instead.
The decision backfired as Umtiti struggled to get back to his dominant best. He has featured very sparingly for Barcelona, making just 49 appearances for the club since 2018. Umtiti has also lost his spot in the France squad and was omitted from national selection for Euro 2020.
As yet another high-earner on the Barcelona wage list, Umtiti's career with the Spanish giants looks set to end this summer. His injury record could mean the Catalans may not find many suitors, but at just 27, Umtiti could still attract some big European clubs.