La Liga Rumours: Barcelona set to offload several players in the summer transfer window
What's the story?
According to Catalan daily Sport, Barcelona are set to offload numerous stars, following their failure in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
In case you didn't know...
Barcelona secured La Liga title weeks ago but succumbed to unexpected failures in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
The Catalan giants were well on their way to their sixth Champions League crown but failed to hold on to a three-goal lead yet again. Liverpool inflicted a crushing 4-0 defeat in the return leg at Anfield to knock Barcelona out from the semi-finals.
The Blaugrana were hoping to secure the domestic double for the second consecutive season but were defeated 2-1 by Valencia in the Copa del Rey final. Goals from Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo saw Los Che getting a two-goal lead in the first half and not even Lionel Messi's heroics were able to prevent Barcelona from losing.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed that there will be changes in the summer. The Catalan giants will be looking to offload several stars and make way for new signings in the summer transfer window.
According to the report, there are atleast five stars, who will be sold in the summer. Brazilian stars Philippe Coutinho and Malcom have failed to impress and their lacklustre performances added to their misery. Kevin-Prince Boateng and Murillo hardly featured and made almost no impact as they look to end their loan move at the Nou Camp.
On the other hand, Jasper Cillessen wants to become the number one goalkeeper at the club but he realizes that won't be possible at Barcelona due to the powerful displays of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Rafinha and Samuel Umtiti suffered major setbacks as they endured a campaign filled with injuries and they are now well down the pecking order at the Camp Nou.
While Ivan Rakitic remained one of the most used players in the current squad, the Croatian midfielder may be pushed towards the exit door this summer. The arrival of Frenkie de Jong may also prove to be a factor in his exit.
What's next?
The season is over for Barcelona but the board will surely start planning their moves for the next campaign.