Ousmane Dembele, Samuel Umtiti among five Barcelona players on sale amid financial crisis?

Spanish giants Barcelona have been among the worse hit financially, following the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. The club with the highest wage bill in Europe are now struggling to cope with the losses and are likely to introduce a second round of pay cuts for the first-team players. If these efforts weren't enough, the Catalan giants are set to sell off at least five players in January to fund the arrival of prospective players.

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Five players on sale to cover losses, despite Barcelona wage cut talks 

Barcelona's precarious financial health could be comprehended from the fact that the club will have to slash their wage will by least €189 million immediately. The struggling Barcelona finances pose a potent threat to the club's prospective signings in the January transfer window, particularly that of Lyon striker Memphis Depay and Manchester City defender Eric Garcia. 

To achieve their objectives, the club have come out with a plan to rake up the Barcelona finances. As per the plan, at least five first-team players will be sold in January to resolve the Barcelona wage bill crisis, at least temporarily. These players include Ousmane Dembele, Samuel Umtiti, Martin Braithwaite, Carles Alena and Junior Firpo as per Mundo Deportivo.

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Ousmane Dembele, Samuel Umtiti transfer on cards?

Of these, Dembele has managed to play the most under Ronald Koeman, amounting to 258 minutes of the possible 810. The Frenchman has been struggling, since his arrival at Camp Nou in 2017, due to injuries. But he could still command the highest fee among the lot, with Manchester United having been particularly interested in securing his services the previous summer. 

Besides, his national teammate Umtiti also faces a similar dilemma at the club. The Frenchman formed a formidable pairing with Gerard Pique at the back. But injury concerns have put him off under subsequent managers over the past couple of seasons, apart from the arrival of Clement Lenglet. His former club Lyon were keen on securing his return, but his hefty fee and wages posed a deterrent. 

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Firpo, Alena and Braithwaite set to depart in January 

Junior Firpo has been overlooked by Koeman as the ideal backup for Jordi Alba. Instead, the manager prefers Sergimo Dest to start on the left flank. Alena has fallen down the pecking order with the arrival of Miralem Pjanic and Pedri. Besides, Braithwaite has seen himself sit on the sidelines under the Dutchman, who prefers Ansu Fati to start as a number 9. 

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Image courtesy: Barcelona Instagramg