FC Barcelona Prepare Shock $66 Million Defender Sale To Facilitate Lionel Messi Return: Reports

FC Barcelona could sell one of their star defenders this summer in order to facilitate Lionel Messi’s return to the club, according to a report from madrid-barcelona.com.

Gerard Romero reported on Thursday that Barca are close to receiving the green light from La Liga in order to re-sign Messi.

This has been achieved through presenting a viability plan mapping out how the Catalans can make the transfer work when Messi becomes a free agent on June 30, amid Barca being mired in debts and needing to shave €200 million ($218 million) from the wage bill as warned by the Spanish top flight’s president Javier Tebas.

According to Romero, Barca have promised that they will make two big player sales in order to capture Messi and three other new players.

Barca fans and pundits are immediately drawn to think of players such as misfit wingers Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati – who all have potential markets in the Premier
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League – heading for the chopping block.

With Raphinha and Torres both costing north of €55 million ($60.4 million) in 2022 when variables are added on, however, Fati is arguably the most saleable asset of the three. The Guinea-born sensation was reared in the La Masia academy making his potential transfer present pure profit for the club, but nothing should be ruled out for any of the forwards.

Last summer, president Joan Laporta did his utmost to offload Frenkie de Jong and even accepted an €85 million ($93 million) bid for him from Manchester United according to The Athletic only for the Dutchman to refuse to move.

Almost 12 months on, it is unlikely that the midfielder will be sold with his recent absence through injury costing Xavi Hernandez’s men in the 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final second leg thrashing to Real Madrid and back-to-back 0-0 draws in La Liga with Girona and Getafe.

Along the back line, however, Jules Kounde could be moved on despite joining from Sevilla in 2022 for €55 million ($60.4 million). At the same time, Barca can also profit on Andreas Christensen given he joined on a free from Chelsea ahead of this term.

With either of these potential sales fetching up to €60 million ($66 million), a record-breaking defense that has leaked just 9 goals in 29 La Liga matches this term would be broken up.