Ronald Koeman’s Barcelona had a bitter round of go last season even though they won the Copa del Rey title by beating Athletic Bilbao. Losing out the domestic title and the Champions League disappointment is still haunting the club in terms of reputation.
Also, the ‘civil war’ within the team management affected the total peace inside the club. The new president of the Catalans Joan Laporta has got good impressions in the club after making remarkable moves in the summer transfer window. Barca have already sealed the transfer of Argentine ace Sergio Aguero, Spanish center-back Eric Garcia, and Dutch forward Memphis Depay.
This will add more power to the squad next season for Barca. Also, there are more to come as per the reports from Spain. Italian ace of Napoli, Lorenzo Insigne is the new target for Barcelona in the transfer window.
Insigne had a stunning season in Serie A with 19 goals and 11 assists from 48 games in all competitions. His contract with Gli Azzurri till the summer of 2022.
He is also living his life to the fullest with the national side in Euro 2020. Roberto Mancini’s new definition of attacking Italian football includes Insigne in a major role upfront. The winger scored once in three games in the group stage of Euro 2020.
List of stars Barcelona looking to offload this summer
Regarding the transfer plans of Barcelona, Koeman is expected to offload some of the major names this summer. It is mandatory to balance the squad and make room for new recruits. Also, the team were unable to find the best out of these celebrated stars at Camp Nou.
1) Antoine Griezmann
The man of the match in the World Cup final at Russia is enjoying himself in the field, not up to the expectation of his club. The French playmaker joined Barcelona in 2019 from Atletico Madrid. He was considered as the long-term replacement for Neymar Jr. in the squad.
But, the French playmaker struggled to find consistency with the ball to link up with the soul of Barca, Lionel Messi. His contract runs till 2024 but a transfer is on the verge of action as the player demands more opportunities with his stardom.
2) Philippe Coutinho
The celebrated signing of the January window of 2018 is a flop in Barcelona. The Brazilian forced to go out for a loan spell at Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich. But he impressed the Bavarians with better performance. The complications in the contract are another mess for Barcelona as the player is may consider an exit from Camp Nou this summer.
3) Martin Braithwaite
Denmark international unleashed his full potential on the national side in the stage of Euro 2020. He is a key figure in the attacking line of Kasper Hjulmand. And they advanced to the quarter-finals by beating Wales by four goals in the first knockout fixture of round 16. Although, Barcelona are still concerned about the 30-year-old regardless of the three more years in his contract.
4) Francisco Trincao
The Portuguese winger is valued as the future of Barcelona in the frontline once the senior players retire from the club. The 21-year-old is a part of the next-generation star players of Barcelona. He made 28 appearances in La Liga this season and yet to cement his position under Koeman for next season.
Along with these players, Lionel Messi’s contract is the priority for Barcelona in the summer. Speaking of the situation, Laporta said, “Things are going well with Messi. But it’s not done yet, Our relationship is very good, Messi loves Barca – we want him to continue. He deserves more and could get a better contract somewhere else. But I’m convinced he appreciates the efforts we are making.”
