Barcelona manager lists five players he does not want in his team this season ahead of the summer transfer final week
Barcelona manager lists five players he does not want in his team this season ahead of the summer transfer final week
Barcelona manager lists five players he does not want in his team this season ahead of the summer transfer final week
With the transfer window entering its final week, things are expected to pick up speed at clubs across Europe, and it is likely to be no different at Barcelona.
While any incomings could be difficult given the financial situation, there should be several exits from Camp Nou before the transfer window slams shut until the turn of the year.
And, as per RAC1’s Gerard Romero, Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has a list of five players that he wants the club to offload before the summer trading period closes.
The first name on the list, to no surprise, is Miralem Pjanic. The Bosnian international arrived at Camp Nou last summer from Juventus. But the move has simply failed to work out, with Koeman already confirming that the 31-year-old is not part of his plans.
A move to Italy has been touted for a while, but his wages are proving to be a stumbling block. Nonetheless, an exit should materialise, even though it will not be straightforward.
The second player that Koeman wants out is defender Samuel Umtiti. Another player who has already been informed that he no longer features in the manager’s scheme of things, the Frenchman, continues to refuse any offers arriving for him.
Patience is wearing thin within the Barcelona camp over the 27-year-old, with the unilateral termination of his contract also being considered if the situation does not change.
The third name on Koeman’s list of unwanted players is Rey Manaj. The striker, who featured regularly in pre-season, was registered as a Barcelona player following Gerard Pique’s wage reduction earlier in the month. However, the manager does not see him as a key cog in his plans and would be happy to see him out the door.
The last two names on the list are both La Masia products in Riqui Puig and Alex Collado. Puig has never been able to convince Koeman that he is deserving of a shot, with youngsters like Gavi and Nico Gonzalez potentially moving ahead of him in the pecking order.
As for Collado, his situation has become difficult after a loan move to Belgium fell through. Nonetheless, with minutes unlikely to come by, a temporary switch away from Camp Nou seems a logical move for the former Barcelona B captain
