Six Barcelona players who could leave in January
Stefan Bienkowski
- 5 Jan 2022 12:55 GMT
- 4 min read
Barcelona have been nowhere near their best this season, with the club suffering both on and off the pitch in 2021/22.
At the turn of the year they are already out of the Champions League and has sacked one head coach in Ronald Koeman.
Indeed, some serious and rather stark conversations will be happening at Camp Nou in the January window, as Xavi and his backroom staff try desperately to plug the holes in this ship before it’s too late.
The club have already signed Ferran Torres from Manchester City, but in order for him, and other signings, to be registered they first must reduce their wage bill, partly by selling current players.
So which players can we expect to see leave Barcelona in the coming transfer window?
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Eric Garcia - €21m/£18m
Despite only joining the club this year, Eric Garcia has been nothing short of dreadful for the Catalan side and is unlikely to be central to Xavi’s plans going forward.
However, at 20 years of age, Garcia still has time on his side and any hints of potential usually demand a high price in the transfer market.
As such, Garcia is currently valued at €23m if the club were to find a buyer in January. And that could make him a perfect candidate to get moved on.
Samuel Umtiti - €12m/£11m
Barcelona have undoubtedly been trying to sell Samuel Umititi for some time. After failing to ship the expensive defender in the summer, the club will surely now consider offers in January.
A cut-down transfer fee of just €12m should entice some clubs in Europe’s top leagues, as Umtiti and Barca try to find a suitable conclusion to this saga.
Philippe Coutinho - €35m/£30m
It may be a bit of a running joke in European football that Philippe Countinho is indeed for sale, but that doesn’t change the fact that the club would probably be more than happy to cut their losses with the Brazilian midfielder.
However, Coutinho’s demise has been largely exaggerated by rivals fans and the player could certainly be of use to a number of clubs in England or Europe’s other top leagues.
It just depends on whether Barca will be able to get a decent price for the player.
Sergi Roberto - €15m/£13m
Perhaps the first player that could be moved on in January is defender Sergi Roberto, who has reportedly resisted any attempts to renew his contract at Barca and could now run the risk of leaving for free in 2023.
Although Roberto is no spring chicken, he is a competent La Liga defender/midfielder and could demand a decent fee if the club could find a buyer in January. His departure would be no great loss to the new Barca boss.
Frenkie de Jong
While Barcelona may be foolish to cash in on Frenkie de Jong, reports in Spain have suggested that they may do exactly that in January.
Indeed, the Netherlands international is one of the club’s prospects that could earn them serious cash in January and with Gavi and Nico coming through the ranks at astonishing speed, Xavi may not have the huge need for De Jong that he might have.
Ousmane Dembele
Last but certainly not least likely to leave is Ousmane Dembele, who will undoubtedly be the player with all eyes on him during the January window.
The France international’s contract at Barca is set to expire at the end of the season, which means he’ll be able to speak to other clubs in January.
Rather than try and delay the inevitable, Barca may instead opt to cash in on the winger six months earlier and allow him to leave midway through the season.
The latest round of negotiations have broken down, while Barca have given the player an ultimatum to decide his future by a certain date.
Read more about: UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Barcelona, Frenkie de Jong, Ousmane Dembélé, Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Sergio Aguero
