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Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman's future at Camp Nou still hangs in the balance. In a press conference, club president Joan Laporta stated:
“I have already told Koeman what I had to tell him very clearly. We’re assessing the season. He has a contract in place [but] I don’t believe in transitional seasons. We will continue to speak to him and make further decisions next week.”
But regardless of his job security, the Dutchman is prepared to put his plans for next season into motion. It is barely news anymore that Barcelona will be undergoing a massive squad revamp after falling out of the top two in La Liga for the first time since 2008.
Barcelona linked with a number of big name players
Despite Barcelona's torrid financial situation, their activity in the transfer market has not let up. They have been linked to several big name players, including Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and, most surprisingly of all, Erling Haaland.
Needless to say, to secure these signings, they will have to get rid of a few players to free up some space on the wage bill.
On that note, let's take a look at five players they should sell this summer:
#5 Samuel Umtiti
Samuel Umtiti joined Barcelona in 2016 from Olympique Lyonnais. A Rolls Royce of a defender back then, the Frenchman formed a rock-solid duo in the rearguard with Gerard Pique.
However, after two splendid campaigns with La Blaugrana, Umtiti has only gone downhill. The 27-year-old helped his national side to a World Cup triumph in 2018 but ruptured his knee soon after, putting him in a plight that has continued to this date.
Umtiti has only made it to the starting lineup six times this season. Manchester United, who are looking for a centre-back in the transfer market, have shown interest in securing his services. It would also be best for Barcelona to cash in on the opportunity.
#4 Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho moved to Barcelona from Liverpool in the 2018 January transfer window for an eye-watering fee of £120 million. Quite naturally, the expectations from him were sky-high but the Brazilian failed to translate his potential into performances.
After a disappointing first year, he was loaned off to Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 campaign. Coutinho has scored two goals and provided a couple of assists in his 12 La Liga appearances this season.
A serious knee injury earlier this year saw him ruled out for the rest of the season. The 28-year-old has undergone three separate surgeries since January but whether he is fit to continue or not is still up in the air.
Also Read: 5 possible signings for Manchester United
#3 Martin Braithwaite
Barcelona signing Martin Braithwaite from Leganes is still puzzling for some. He is definitely not one of the players you would expect to be leading the line for a star-studded squad such as Barca's.
Nevertheless, the Denmark international has been used quite a lot but seldom produced anything remarkable. In his 42 outings across all competitions, Braithwaite only registered seven goals and four assists.
The 29-year-old has received a call-up to the national side for Euro 2020 and perhaps his heroics there could help Barcelona find potential suitors for him.
#2 Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele's contract with Barcelona runs out in June 2022, meaning he could exit the Camp Nou on a free next summer. La Blaugrana cannot stand that, given they paid in excess of £86 million to land him from Dortmund.
The Frenchman is reportedly dissatisfied with the deal being offered by Barcelona and could be looking for pastures new, with a move to Chelsea on the cards.
#1 Antoine Griezmann
Since joining Barcelona in 2019 for a whopping £107 million, Antoine Griezmann has struggled to reproduce his Atletico Madrid exploits. All the same, he is still an important cog in the machine for Ronald Koeman's side.
The catch, however, is that Barcelona can ill afford to have someone of his stature on their wage bill. With the Spanish club prioritizing Lionel Messi's contract extension and having already closed in on the signings of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, Griezmann would invariably be deemed surplus to requirement.
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