Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Barca identify Manchester United striker as Alvaro Morata alternative, Club close to offloading two high-earning stars - 6 January 2021
Barcelona beat Linares Deportivo 2-1 in the Copa Del Rey last night. It's a positive result for the club who have struggled in recent weeks.
The January transfer window is now open and the Catalans have already secured the services of Ferran Torres from Manchester City. This is expected to be a pretty busy month for the club as they look to bring reinforcements to the squad and get rid of some deadwood.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 6 January 2022.
Barcelona confirm injuries to Ronald Araujo and Frenkie De Jong
Barcelona have been dealt a couple of heavy blows on the injury front. First-choice centre-back Ronald Araujo suffered a hand injury during last night's 2-1 win over Linares Deportivo. The club released a statement on their official website confirming that the Uruguayan international is set to undergo surgery this Friday.
“First-team player Ronald Araujo has fractured the second and third metacarpal bones in his right hand. Doctor Xavier Mir will perform surgery tomorrow under the supervision of the Club’s medical services. An update will be provided after the operation."
The club is expected to reveal Araujo's expected return date once the surgery is completed. Frenkie De Jong is another player who suffered an injury during last night's game. The Catalans have now confirmed that he has picked up a calf injury.
"First-team player Frenkie De Jong has strained the soleus muscle in his left calf. He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will be monitored."
MEDICAL UPDATES
Araujo has second and third metacarpal bone fractures in his hand and F. De Jong has a soleus muscle strain in his calf
barca.link/C9Qw50HomVU https://t.co/SUHcfIvbZp
Barcelona close to offloading Samuel Umtiti and Philippe Coutinho
Barcelona's financial woes are well documented. But they might be able to receive a major boost on the fiscal front as two of their highest earning players are nearing an exit. Due to the Catalans' high wage bill, they cannot register new signings and they desperately need to sell players in January.
According to Marca, Newcastle United have made Samuel Umtiti their number one transfer target for January. The Magpies had a bid for Sven Botman rejected by Lille and have now turned their attention to Umtiti. Barcelona were keen to offload Umtiti last summer but he wanted to fight for his place in the side and stayed put.
Big-money transfer flop Philippe Coutinho is the other Barcelona player who is nearing an exit. Sky Sports claim that up to six Premier League sides are interested in signing the Brazilian. Among his potential suitors is Aston Villa but it remains to be seen if Coutinho will take a paycut to join another club halfway through the season.
Barcelona interested in Anthony Martial
Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick confirmed last week that Anthony Martial has asked to leave the club. Poor performances have seen the Frenchman fall out of favor at Manchester United.
He is currently behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood in the pecking order. According to SPORT, Barcelona are now viewing Anthony Martial as an alternative to Alvaro Morata.
The Catalans want to sign the French forward on a six-month loan deal, with an obligation to make the signing permanent in the summer for €40 million. Martial is a versatile forward with great technical abilities. However, he has been too inconsistent in the last couple of seasons.
In 10 appearances across all competitions, Martial has scored only one goal this term. But that's not a fair reflection of the 26-year-old's abilities and a change of environment might just do him a world of good.
A deal for Morata is getting complicated, urging Barcelona to look for other options. One option that the club like in particular is signing Martial (26) on loan. The Frenchman isn't enjoying his time at Old Trafford and would be delighted with a move to Catalonia. [sport] https://t.co/zKtajQr7ks