Barcelona transfer list FOUR players but Dembele safe

Stuart Telford

• 28 Apr 2023 21:08 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona have transfer listed four first-team players as they look to fund Lionel Messi's return, but Ousmane Dembele has been told that he is untouchable.

Barcelona are desperate to raise funds this summer, and for two different - if related - reasons.

The club have been told that they need to reduce their debt by €200 million if they want to take part in La Liga next season - a competition they lead Real Madrid by 11 points in this term.

READ: Barcelona resort to desperate measures in Messi pursuit

They are also moving heaven and earth to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou, the club legend available on a free transfer this summer with his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expiring.

Those twin pressures have pushed president Joan Laporta to activate more "financial levers," such as the selling of another stake in Barca Licensing & Merchandising for north of €200m.

But they seem to have finally accepted that players sales will be their smoothest path away from financial oblivion, and four are on the transfer list as of now.

READ: How Barcelona want to line up for 2023/24 - including Lionel Messi

Fire sale

"Barcelona have decided to sell Franck Kessie, Jordi Alba, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati this summer," report Diario SPORT. "Offers will also be considered for Raphinha and Eric Garcia."

The most valuable of that cluster, per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, is Raphinha with an ETV of €48.2m. He reportedly has Premier League suitors, with Arsenal and Newcastle set to battle for his signature this summer.

Alba's salary demands are likely to be a problem for his next club. Inter Milan couldn't afford to sign him last summer, and the left-back - one of the club captains - is now 34.

Dembele is valued at €49m and could fetch yet more, but he is one of four players who have been told they are untouchable.

The other three are top scorer Robert Lewandowski, as well as European football's most recent Golden Boy winners Gavi and Pedri.