Barcelona is ready to let go of five first-team players to help pay for their summer rebuild.

Barcelona is ready to let go of five first-team players to help pay for their summer rebuild.

Barcelona is in a great spot to win La Liga this season, but the club’s leaders are already planning ahead to keep the momentum going next year. The team dreams of winning their sixth Champions League title, which they last won in 2015. Unfortunately, they were knocked out this season by Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, so they’ll have to wait a bit longer.

Manager Hansi Flick has won La Liga in his first season but has come up short in Europe twice now. He’s hoping to strengthen the team with new players to finally bring home the top European trophy. However, Barcelona doesn’t have unlimited funds, so they’ll need to sell some current players to afford new signings, according to AS Diario.

Three defenders might be on the way out. One is Ronald Araujo, a key leader, but he’s only played twice since returning from a break in November due to depression, which might mean he’s no longer central to the team’s plans. The other two are fullbacks Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde. Both are trusted by Flick and have performed well, but if the club can find better options or if money is needed, they could be sold.

Midfielder Marc Casado, a La Masia graduate, might also leave. Many clubs have shown interest in him, but he’s been reluctant to go because he wants to stay and play for Barcelona. Clubs from Saudi Arabia, the Premier League, and La Liga have called, and with his limited playing time, he might reconsider.

Roony Bardghji could be another player to move on, though this is a bit trickier because the club sees a lot of potential in him. He might be sold with a buy-back option so he can get more game time elsewhere, especially since he’s been covering for Lamine Yamal on the right wing and hasn’t played much lately.

This summer, Barcelona is linked with several exciting players to boost the squad. Atletico’s Julian Alvarez and Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni seem to be top targets. But according to El Chiringuito TV, there are four other players they’re interested in, including two fullbacks, which could explain why Kounde and Balde might be let go.

One possible fullback signing is Denzel Dumfries from Inter, who has been a solid player for them. The other is Catalan Marc Cucurella, now at Chelsea and a former Espanyol player. Also, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva is linked with a move since he’ll be leaving the club on a free transfer, though Barcelona will face stiff competition to sign the Portuguese star.

Finally, Youssef Diomande from RB Leipzig is another player attracting interest. The Ivorian has impressed this season and has also been linked with Liverpool. But the chance to play for Barcelona and team up with one of football’s brightest young stars, Yamal, could be very tempting.