4 players who should be offloaded by Barcelona next season

By all standards, this has been a great season for Barcelona. Holding a five-point lead over bitter rivals Real Madrid in second place (with the potential to make it eight points with a victory against Athletic Bilbao), the Blaugrana look all but set to retain their league title.

Elsewhere, they're also in contention for a record-breaking fifth consecutive Copa del Rey crown, although they have the small matter of negotiating their way around an El Clasico second leg at the Bernabeu to make it to the final. The Champions League is also within sights, as they have been paired with Lyon in the round-of-16.

Their charge on all three fronts has largely been led by Lionel Messi, as the Argentine legend has seemingly taken it upon himself to write the wrongs from last season, with him taking Barcelona to new heights with his performance levels.

However, for all of Messi's brilliance, he has been ably assisted in other departments, with ultra reliable stalwarts such as Sergio Busquets, Gerad Pique and Luis Suarez continuing to perform at the highest levels, while new blood like Clement Lenglet, Ousmane Dembele and Arthur Melo have also played their part.

Nevertheless, it has not all been smooth sailing for the club, as some of their players have performed well below par, not playing to their optimum and offering little or no contribution to the Barca cause. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at four players who the Barcelona board should be looking at selling ahead of next season.

#1 Philippe Coutinho

After some protracted transfer negotiations involving Coutinho which Liverpool failed to sanction, Barcelona finally got their prized man in January 2018 for a club record fee.

The Brazilian arrived amidst much fanfare as he was seen as the long-term successor to midfield icon Andres Iniesta and it started impressively enough for the 26-year-old as he scored 10 goals in 22 matches in all competitions for the Catalan giants.

However, it has all gone downhill since then, as he has struggled for form and currently finds himself out of the first team picture, as Ernersto Valverde has shown a preference for a forward line of Messi, Suarez and Dembele.

Coutinho's form has been alarming to say the least, as the confident player unafraid of taking shots from range and beating players with his close control has been replaced by an unconfident man scared of doing the things which helped him achieve greatness.

Reports have emanated that the club are willing to listen to offers for the Brazilian international and with Barcelona more than stocked in the midfield and forward ranks, it is safe to say that he might not be missed if he does depart.

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#2 Malcom

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - Copa del Rey Semi Final

The most controversial signing of last summer, Malcom was seemingly on his way to AS Roma from Bordeaux with the club announcing his arrival on its official Twitter handle while thousands of fans thronged the international airport to welcome him to the club.

In shocking scenes, Barcelona, however, hijacked the deal and the rest, as they say, is now history.

Malcom was one of the most in-demand young players in Europe following his exploits in Ligue 1 and it was expected that he would add a different dimension to the Barcelona attack.

However, it has not gone according to plan, as Ousmane Dembele's upturn in form has seen him installed as a firm starter at the club, with the result being that Malcom has failed to kick his Barcelona career into gear eight months after arriving.

So far this season, the 22-year-old has made just 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals, while he is yet to make a start in either the Champions League or La Liga.

Evidence suggests that Malcom might not have a solid future at the Nou Camp and with suitors bound to be interested in his services, it would be imperative for the Blaugrana to part ways with him.

#3 Denis Suarez

Cultural Leonesa v FC Barcelona - Spanish Copa del Rey

The 25-year-old has had a topsy turvy career at Barcelona till date, having represented the club in a first spell lasting from 2013 - 2015 during which he only represented the second team, before transferring to Villarreal.

His performances with Villarreal were deemed convincing enough for Barca to exercise their buyback clause in 2016, but since then he has not made any noticeable contribution to the club, having failed to break into the first team.

In his three full seasons at the club, Denis Suarez has made 71 appearances in all competitions, scoring just eight goals before he was loaned out to Arsenal in January 2019.

The fact that he was not a part of the first team at Barcelona made the decision to sign him to a new contract all the more surprising. However, it begins to make more sense if we factor in that his value might rise if he performs well at Arsenal which would mean for profit for Barcelona if they were to sell him.

#4 Thomas Vermaelen

FC Barcelona Unveil New Signing Thomas Vermaelen

The 33-year-old was signed from Arsenal in 2014 for the sum of £15m, having represented The Gunners with distinction for five seasons.

His signing represented a risk for the Catalans, as he had a history of injury troubles during the latter part of his Arsenal career and so far, his Barcelona tenure has also been plagued by niggling problems, as he has been sidelined no less than 12 times due to one injury problem or the other.

Vermaelen has made just 50 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona in the four seasons he has spent at the club (although he spent the 2016/17 season on loan at Roma).

This season, he has turned out just eight times in all competitions, so it, therefore, makes no sense for Barcelona to keep him on beyond the summer especially given the form of the young Clement Lenglet to augment the efforts of Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti.

The Belgian's contract expires in the summer, which makes it easier for all parties to part ways, although there have been suggestions that the club is considering giving him an extension which would be rather bizarre given that he would be 34 by the time next season rolls around.