Barcelona have preferred sale this summer – player so far unwilling to leave | OneFootball

Barcelona have identified several players that they are willing to move on this summer in order to fund their transfer business. However it has been the case for a number of years that the Catalan giants have struggled to attract satisfactory offers, or ones that will tempt their players into giving the green light to a departure.

The Blaugrana have briefed that they will be in the so-called ‘1:1 rule’, referring to their ambition to return to within their salary limit before the end of June. That is one part of their desire to spend big this summer on a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, and sign a quality central defender to play on the left side. In order to pull off those deals, Barcelona may yet need to make some lucrative sales.

Barcelona identify players they would prefer to sell

Following talk that they are open to the idea of selling defenders Ronald Araujo, Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde, Sport report that the two full-backs are atop the list of players that Director of Football Deco would be keen to accept a lucrative offer for. Balde, who has lost his place to Joao Cancelo over the past two months, tops that list, with Manchester United reportedly interested. Diario AS corroborate the information about Balde, but note that so far he is not considering an exit.

Kounde is another player whom Deco would open the door to were a good offer to arrive. They say that Barcelona will not try to force through a move, but will leave it in the hands of Jorge Mendes to engineer the matter, but the target is a sale of €50m or more to provide for their transfer budget.

Talk of Balde €50m offer is wide of the mark

Recently, it had been reported by the Catalan press that Aston Villa were willing to pay €50m for Balde, but Toni Juanmarti has told Siempre Positivo that this is not the case. That story was in fact put out by the club in order to drum up interest in Balde, and Juanmarti adds that it is a sign there is little interest in him.

Barcelona could consider sale of a star

If Barcelona cannot pull of a significant sale for one of their players that is not regarded as essential, then they could consider offers for one of their stars. Raphinha and Fermin Lopez are cited as two players that could fit that description, but both have turned down offers to leave the club in recent summers.