Barcelona want to sell 4 first team players after loss to Manchester United in the Europa League - Reports
Barcelona are reportedly looking to take a drastic step by selling four players following their UEFA Europa League loss to Manchester United on February 23.
The Blaugrana succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in the second leg of their playoff. They exited the competition due to a 4-3 aggregate loss over the course of two legs.
According to Diario Gol, the Spanish club are now looking to get rid of Raphinha, Franck Kessie, Sergi Roberto, and Ansu Fati in the summer.
While Raphiha was excellent against United in the first leg, scoring a goal, he was not decisive enough in the second. His form throughout the season has been underwhelming since joining from Leeds United last summer. He has scored seven goals and has provided no assists in 33 matches this campaign.
Kessie, on the other hand, has failed to fit into the team's mold since his summer move. The midfielder was even linked with a January move away from the club but eventually stayed put. Kessie has made 27 appearances for the Catalan club this campaign, scoring two goals and providing three assists.
I have seen the light. Kessie proved to me tonight he is not at this level. He really is a backup player who can give you good 10 mins but the whole match, the answer is no. He needs to be sold in the summer. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/SuGMFuYUx2
Roberto, meanwhile, is currently in the final months of his contract with Barca. Xavi's decision to start the Spaniard against Manchester United raised many eyebrows. His no-show during the match at Old Trafford has intensified criticism of the player.
Fati, meanwhile, was considered Lionel Messi's heir at Barcelona when he was handed the number 10 shirt. While injury issues have certainly hindered his progress, the youngster has failed to live up to the expectations around him.
Fati has scored six goals and has provided three assists in 34 games across competitions this campaign.
Barcelona manager Xavi reacted to the defeat against Manchester United
Speaking after the loss against Manchester United, Barcelona manager Xavi showed displeasure at his team's second-half performance at Old Trafford.
He said:
“I think we were worse in the second half, we lacked composure and patience. A single goal hurt us a lot. Today we lost because of the details, It’s a big frustration, a pity because we were so excited. But we were facing a great opponent."
He added:
"They are strong physically. Their first goal hurt us a lot. We were able to make it 0-2, and we’ve had some chances, but we haven’t been able to take advantage of it.”
While Robert Lewandowski's first-half penalty gave Xavi's team the lead, Fred and Antony struck in the second half to turn the tie on its head.
Lewandowski finished yesterday's match upset & angry, as he was denied the opportunity to equalise in the last minute by Fati, who took the header, when he had an open goal from Ferran's cross. Robert spoke to Ansu & told him that this has happened before.
🚨 Lewandowski finished yesterday's match upset & angry, as he was denied the opportunity to equalise in the last minute by Fati, who took the header, when he had an open goal from Ferran's cross. Robert spoke to Ansu & told him that this has happened before.
@fansjavimiguel [🎖️] https://t.co/zgbSu1EqVO
Barcelona have now crashed out of European competitions twice this season. They were also eliminated from the UEFA Champions League earlier in the season after finishing third in their group.