Five players set to leave Barcelona in January as part of exit operation

With the January transfer window almost upon us, Barcelona are finalising their strategies for the mid-season player trading period as they look to bolster their squad.

The early exit from the UEFA Champions League laid bare the disparity between the Catalans and Bayern Munich, one of Europe’s most elite clubs. The Blaugrana wish to reach those levels again, although it will not be done over just one transfer window.

Nevertheless, groundwork needs to be laid from January itself, as new manager Xavi Hernandez and Joan Laporta plot to take Barcelona back to the gloried heights of the past.

Strengthening the squad with the right players who possess the desired quality would be key in that aspect and for that to happen, sales will be crucial for the Catalan giants due to their difficult economic situation.

And Fichajes now reports that as many as five players could be shown the doors in the January transfer window so that Barca can generate some revenue from sales while also freeing up some room on the wage bill to register new players and comply with La Liga’s salary cap rules.

As per the report, Samuel Umtiti and Philippe Coutinho are at the top of the exit list for Barcelona, although that was the case during the summer transfer window as well. However, the Catalans were unable to offload the duo who is among the top-earners at Camp Nou. Although, the possibility of unilateral contract terminations is not being ruled out.

Apart from the aforementioned two players, Sergino Dest is another player who could be on his way out after having failed to make an impression since his arrival last year.

The name of Luuk de Jong also features high on the club’s unwanted list. The Dutchman arrived on the summer deadline day on loan from Sevilla and is attracting interest from Turkey and Netherlands ahead of the January window.

Finally, the report adds that Oscar Mingueza could also be cut from the squad by the Blaugrana to make room for new arrivals. In addition, it is stated that there could be more exits should significant offers for other players arrive. Whether Barcelona are able to find suitors for any of these players remains the major question, however.