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Barcelona were linked with several players in the last transfer window but they were unable to get deals over the line.
This prompted manager Ronald Koeman to come out and declare that financial shortfalls were to blame for the club's inability to sign both Gini Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, who were reportedly the club's primary transfer targets.
Barcelona, like most other elite clubs, have been hit badly by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the loss of revenue from stadium attendance affecting the club's bottom line.
This, in addition to the club's mismanaged funds in the transfer market over the last few years, has led to financial shortcomings. The club recently announced that they had to cut costs by almost £200m in order to prevent bankruptcy.
One of the means by which they hoped to achieve this was proposing a salary cut for players but they failed to agree to terms. Meanwhile, the upcoming presidential election also places further uncertainty at the club.
There is also the not-so-small matter of Lionel Messi wanting to leave next summer. Any potential agreement for the club captain to stay would require a sizable financial outlay.
Despite these issues, Barcelona would have to significantly strengthen their squad if they are to rise to the summit of the game again. However, in light of their financial predicaments, they would have to sell off fringe players first in order to afford new signings.
Who are the players Barcelona could sell to fund new transfers?
Barcelona currently have one of the highest wage bills in the world. The Catalan giants need to reduce their salary outlay and sell off players to raise funds for new signings.
There are a number of players who appear to have no future at the club, and it might be in all parties' best interests if they were sold.
First on the list is Junior Firpo. Although big things were expected from him when he signed for the club, it has generally not gone according to plan.
Firpo came on the radar when he played a starring role as Real Betis beat Barcelona 4-3 at the Camp Nou in 2018. It was believed that his former manager Quique Setien could get the best out of him.
However, he has not provided the requisite competition for Jordi Alba and has made just 27 appearances in all competitions for the Blaugrana in the last two years.
Next on the list is Carles Alena. Although fans of the club would rather see the La Masia-trained midfielder become a mainstay in the first team, it appears that he does not feature in Ronald Koeman's plans.
The 22-year-old had undergone a loan spell with Real Betis last season but has made just one LaLiga appearance for Barcelona in the current campaign.
His young age means that the Blaugrana can't get a decent amount of money from him but if a new coach arrives next summer, he might yet be given a clean slate to showcase his abilities.
Samuel Umtiti is another player who has run out of time to prove his worth to Barcelona. While his abilities are not in doubt, his recurring fitness issues means that he cannot be relied upon to be available in the long term.
Some weeks ago, Martin Braithwaite seemed like a surefire candidate to leave the Camp Nou after his controversial arrival in February.
However, the Denmark international has turned things around in the last week and was the star of the show as a second-string Barcelona trashed Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League.
He followed his brace and assist in Ukraine with another goal in the league last weekend but his lack of star power and inexperience on the biggest stages could count against him.
