Barcelona keen to offload two superstars to retain Pedri and Ansu Fati - Reports
Barcelona are reportedly willing to part ways with two huge names to retain La Masia wonderkids Pedri and Ansu Fati. The club is in financial turmoil due to the coronavirus pandemic and will have to let go of a few players to make a splash in the transfer market over the summer.
According to El Confidencial, Barcelona are eyeing a move for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland in the summer but would need to reduce their wage bill to be able to afford the Norwegian. This means that getting rid of players on modest wages with immense potential, such as Pedri and Ansu Fati, would not make sense for the Catalan club.
According to reports, the club is willing to offload French superstar Antoine Griezmann to reduce the wage bill. Although he has been in good form this season, the forward hasn't quite reached the heights of his Atletico Madrid days at Barcelona. If the club do decide to sell Griezmann, there will be no shortage of suitors for the World Cup winner's signature in the summer.
The other player that Barcelona would like to move on from is Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian midfielder has found playing time hard to come by during his tenure at Barcelona and spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich. This season started more optimistically for the midfielder as Ronald Koeman seemed to put his faith in Coutinho. But an injury towards the end of 2020 derailed the Brazilian's season as he continues to recover.
The sale of Griezmann and Coutinho would go a long way in reducing Barcelona's wage bill as they prepare for a massive overhaul in the summer.
Griezmann and Coutinho's departures only the beginning of Barcelona's reboot
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is ready to completely blow up the current squad and start rebuilding around a select few players. A report from El Confidencial states that the club has a few untouchables on the roster, which include Lionel Messi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ansu Fati, Pedri, and Ilaix Moriba.
Apart from these five players, the club is reportedly ready to cut ties with several players who they don't see as part of their plans going forward. This includes players like Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic and Martin Braithwaite, who will all be allowed to look for a new club in the summer.
An interesting transfer window lies ahead for FC Barcelona.