Ansu Fati Exit Confirmed: Which Barcelona Players Are on the Way Out Next? | OneFootball

The magic of a brilliant 2024–25 season and the high expectations of perhaps an even better 2025–26 for Barcelona sandwich what is currently a summer defined by a crude reality-check regarding the club’s financial situation.

News broke recently that for a second straight summer, Nico Williams won’t join the Catalans after he put pen-to-paper on a new long-term deal to stay at Athletic Club.

Barcelona had already agreed to personal terms with the winger, but the club’s financial inability to trigger his release clause and later register him to play while meeting La Liga’s 1:1 rule—the freedom to spend €1 for every €1 raised—saw what looked like an imminent transfer become a pipe-dream once again.

So, Barcelona are back to the drawing board, but in order to be able to think of alternatives to Williams’s failed transfer, the club must first offload salaries and generate income to facilitate the possibility of new reinforcements.

Barcelona need to make money. Simple as that.

Ansu Fati already left Barcelona for Monaco on a loan deal that will save the Catalans close to €7 million ($8.2 million) on the player’s salary. Álex Valle also left for Como earlier in the summer.

Still, more is needed for Barcelona to have the financial flexibility to meet both La Liga and UEFA’s rules and to be active in the transfer window.

Here’s a list of players that could leave Barcelona in coming weeks.

Pablo Torre

Pablo Torre is close to joining Mallorca. / IMAGO/Pressinphoto

Pablo Torre looks certain to be the next domino to fall. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder didn’t feature for Barcelona in the last two months of the season and even admitted he felt that Hansi Flick had been unfair with him given his lack of opportunities.

Mallorca are close to signing Torre for a reported €5 million ($5.8 million) to acquire 50% of his rights, with the remaining half still belonging to Barça.

Iñaki Peña

Iñaki Peña started most of Barcelona's games during the first half of 2024–25. / IMAGO/CordonPress

Iñaki Peña took over the starting duties in goal when Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a knee injury early in the season. However, Flick turned to emergency signing Wojciech Szczęsny as his starter for the second half of the term.

With the Polish goalkeeper seemingly close to extending his stint with the club and Barcelona signing Joan García, the writing’s on the wall for Peña. A return to Galatasaray, where he spent a short time on loan, appears to be a possible destination.

Pau Víctor

Pau Víctor appeared in 29 games for Barcelona last season. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

It wasn’t only Dani Olmo that Barça had trouble registering to play in La Liga last season, Pau Víctor is the forgotten man of that saga. Signed permanently from Girona last summer, Víctor managed 29 appearances during 2024–25, but only two starts.

With Barcelona’s attack overflowing with options, the 23-year-old Víctor doesn’t have any path to consistent minutes, making his departure seem almost certain. There’s several La Liga teams interested in him, for a fee that could be close to that of the aforementioned Torre.

Ronald Araújo

Ronald Araújo could leave Barcelona this summer. / IMAGO/Nicolo Campo

The first three names on this list are almost certain departures. Now come the big dominoes.

Ronald Araújo is Barcelona’s vice-captain, but he’s coming off a 2024–25 campaign where he was arguably Barça’s biggest disappointment of the season. The Uruguay international lost his starting role in favor of Íñigo Martínez and Pau Cubarsí and was heavily signaled for Barcelona’s painful elimination from the Champions League for a second straight season.

The Catalans have a surplus of center-back options and at only 26 years old, Araújo’s value in the transfer market might never be as high as it is right now.

Juventus were close to signing Araújo during the winter window before he agreed to a contract extension with Barcelona. However, the club could consider selling the Uruguayan if a strong offer comes, especially given the financial situation they’re in.

Andreas Christensen

The former Chelsea player struggled with injuries this past season. / IMAGO/NurPhoto

If Barcelona aren’t ready to part ways with Araújo, then Andreas Christensen becomes the most obvious candidate to leave the club.

The former Chelsea player struggled with injuries all of 2024–25, playing only 252 minutes in La Liga. However, Flick turned to the Danish center back often in the final weeks of the season, even more regularly than he did with Araújo.

Although Christensen wants to stay with the club for the final year of his contract, there have already been approaches to try and lure him to the Saudi Pro League. Christensen might not merit as high a price tag as Araújo, but his departure could still bring significant income.

In any case, it’s clear Barcelona intends to let go of one center back. In Deco’s words, “We have five center backs and one of them must exit because of an excess of players. The manager will have to make a decision.”

Marc-André ter Stegen

Marc-André ter Stegen has been with Barcelona for over a decade. / IMAGO/Sportsphoto

Lamine Yamal was 7 years old when Barcelona signed Marc-André ter Stegen. A little over 10 years later, the German’s time with the Catalans could be close to coming to an end.

García’s signing and the almost guaranteed renewal of Szczęsny threaten not only Peña, but also Barcelona’s captain. Despite Ter Stegen repeatedly saying he plans on staying with Barcelona, both him and the club could benefit from his departure.

Going into 2025–26, the German goalkeeper isn’t guaranteed the starting job. In a crowded goalkeeper room that’s now inhabited by one of the best shot-stoppers in La Liga last season, Ter Stegen could very well be headed to the bench.

A year away from perhaps his last chance of starting in a World Cup for Germany, Ter Stegen needs playing time. If Barcelona aren’t going to consider him the starter, then a move elsewhere must be a priority for him and it would see the club cash in on the veteran while he still has somewhat strong value.