FC Barcelona Planning Two Big Player Sales For $120 Million: Reports

FC Barcelona believe they can raise a much-needed €110 million ($120 million) by selling two struggling players, according to El Nacional.

Barca will wrap up the La Liga title away at Espanyol by beating their relegation-threatened crosstown rivals on Sunday evening.

As for next season, however, which they will almost certainly contest as reigning Spanish champions, the Catalans must shed €200 million ($220 million) from their wage bill as warned by the league’s president Javier Tebas.

This needs to be done in order to sign players and register the new contracts of current stars including Gavi and Ronald Araujo.

Player sales will be a determining factor in balancing the books. In Barca’s viability plan which has already been presented to Tebas and Co., it has been explained that Barca intend to make two big player sales so that four fresh faces can be brought in according to Gerard Romero.

On Saturday, SPORT reported that Barca are finalizing a €14 million ($15.3 million) agreement with Tottenham Hotspur to sell on-loan defender Clement Lenglet.

For far bigger sums, though, according to El Nacional, Barca hope to offload misfiring wingers Raphinha for €70 million ($77 million) and Ansu Fati for €40 million ($44 million).

AS reports on Sunday that Barca hope to sell Raphinha before his agent Deco potentially succeeds the outgoing Mateu Alemany on June 30, which is when the sporting director heads to Aston Villa in the Premier
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This would be to avoid a conflict of interest down the line, and some may find it unfair that the Brazilian is being moved on despite racking up double figures in both goals and assists and being given less than a year to impress.

As for Fati, his potential sale presents pure profit considering he graduated from the La Masia academy in 2019.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have already made an offer of €30 million ($33 million) plus Ruben Neves for him according to Relevo.

Yet with Fati sceptical of moving to the English club and Xavi allegedly not crazy about Neves, the 20-year-old might have to be sold elsewhere for around €10 million ($11 million) more.

Ferran Torres might also be shipped out, with Alemany’s next stop Villa possibly the Spain international’s too. At the weekend, SPORT reported that the deal was being negotiated but can’t be struck for less than €42 million ($46 million).