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Barcelona have made some progress in their efforts to trim the wage bill but will still need to offload a few players in the next two weeks.
Barcelona have started their 2021-22 La Liga season on a promising note. The Catalans dispatched Real Sociedad 4-2 in their season opener on Sunday. Club president Joan Laporta and co. are still looking at ways to trim the club's wage bill and bring it under the La Liga salary cap.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 18 August 2021.
Martin Braithwaite says his aim is to be an impact player
Martin Braithwaite bagged a brace as Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 4-2 in their La Liga season opener. The Danish striker was tipped to be solid this summer but his emphatic performance was suggestive of his desire to succeed at the Camp Nou.
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Braithwaite has now discussed his role at Barcelona. He said (via LA Times):
“On a club level my aim is always to be an impact player. I’ve been clutch my entire life. People mostly know me for my runs, but I have a lot more in my repertoire that I really haven’t shown the world yet.
“I have a dynamic finish with both legs. I train to sprint like an Olympic sprinter and I can challenge my immediate defender with explosive dribbles.”
Barcelona to keep Philippe Coutinho and sell Umtiti, Pjanic and Braithwaite
Philippe Coutinho is one of the players who was expected to be offloaded by Barcelona this summer. The Brazilian has failed to justify his hefty price tag since joining from Liverpool in 2018 and missed the majority of the 2020-21 season through injury.
However, Mundo Deportivo claim that the Catalans want Coutinho to stay put. They are hoping that he can finally come good and that his presence will help the club navigate the initial stages of the post-Messi era.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are still looking to offload Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic and Martin Braithwaite, as per AS. Pjanic is expected to leave but Barcelona are yet to find potential suitors for Umtiti and Braithwaite.
Sergi Roberto accepts wage cut and contract extension
Sergi Roberto is among the senior members of the Barcelona squad who are willing to help out the club with respect to their financial crisis. According to Football Espana, the full-back has not only agreed to take a wage cut but is also ready to sign a new 2-year contract with the club.
The 29-year-old, who has entered the final year of his contract with Barcelona, was linked with Manchester City earlier this summer. However, the report claims that Roberto has always planned on staying at Barcelona. He wants to help the club rebuild following Lionel Messi's exit.
