5 Possible Departures For Barcelona In The Upcoming Season

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Griezmann's move to Barcelona is taking longer than expected
Griezmann's move to Barcelona is taking longer than expected

FC Barelona endured a tough season last time around towards the end of the campaign as they got knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals in horrendous fashion, blowing a 3-0 lead in the 2nd leg and also lost the final of the Copa del Rey 2-1 to Valencia.

With the arrival of Frenkie de Jong who was signed in January has been the only arrival thus far, apart from Norberto Neto who was signed from Valencia as a replacement for Cillissen who went the other way. The rumoured deal for Antoine Griezmann has not been completed yet, the fans are impatient for impending arrivals of players.

With that, surely Barcelona should be looking to offload some players in order to comply with the financial fair play rules. So let's take a look at some of the players who are likely to leave the club.


#5 Rafinha Alcantara

Rayo Vallecano de Madrid v FC Barcelona - La Liga
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid v FC Barcelona - La Liga

Rafinha Alcantara has been struggling to get himself minutes at Barcelona due to his fitness issues and this has made the club lose confidence in him as they have went and signed Frenkie De Jong and Arthur who are expected to take the mantle in the future of the club.

After his loan spell with Inter towards the end of the 17/18 campaign and Valverde decided to trust him and kept him for this season. he started the season well, getting regular minutes and also started the game against Real Madrid which Barcelona won 5-1. But since, he has got injured and has been sidelined ever since.

It may be time for him to leave the club and find a club club where he could get regular minutes to revive his career. Despite being only 26, he can get a fresh start and show what he is capable of. With clubs like Valencia linked with the Brazilian international, it may not be the worst to move to the Mestalla come summer

#4 Malcom

Malcom has failed to get regular minutes under Valverde
Malcom has failed to get regular minutes under Valverde

Malcom was signed from Bordeaux last summer for a fee of £37 million and was expected to challenge for the starting spot. He came off of a very good season with the French side having been involved in 19 goals in the league campaign in average side.

In the 18/19 campaign, he played in 24 games for the Blaugrana and scored 4 goals and assisted 2 more. He played a bare minimum of 1067 minutes altogether and for a player who possesses his qualities, he should be playing regularly for a club which values him.

Despite being only 22, he surely has a lot of potential to fulfill and he has to look for a move away in order to get regular minutes with moves linked to Everton and get back to his best rather than end up on the benches of the Spanish outfit.

#3 Nelson Semedo

Portugal v Netherlands - UEFA Nations League Final
Portugal v Netherlands - UEFA Nations League Final

Nelson Semedo was signed from Benfica in Valverde's first season and was expected to finally fill the void left by Dani Alves but that exactly hasn't been the case as he has been regularly been benched by Sergi Roberto.

Semedo being a natural right-back is much better defensively than Roberto who has very good attacking output but defensively has been vulnerable and for Barcelona this season, defense has been the major concern so the use of Roberto regularly seems to baffle the fans and the critics.

With clubs like Atletico Madrid still interested in him and him being 24, the need for regular minutes is a must for the Portuguese international who has competition ahead of him at both club and country level. He could be used in the Griezmann deal as a swap plus money which could work for both parties.

#2 Ivan Rakitic

Barcelona v Valencia - Spanish Copa del Rey Final
Barcelona v Valencia - Spanish Copa del Rey Final

Rakitic has been a mainstay in the squad under Ernesto Valverde as he has been used as the utility midfielder or the workhorse of the team depending on the situation along with Arturo Vidal.

But with his display's against Liverpool in the 2nd leg at Anfield and his performance versus Valencia in the Copa del Rey final has received backlash from the fans and media likewise. Many have called for the Croatian midfielder's exit from the club and cash in on him while still possible in order to strengthen in other areas of concern.

With him being 30, it would be time for them to part ways with the dynamic and versatile midfielder and start to trust the youth and the young players in the form of Frenkie and Arthur who were signed by the club with a long term future planned out. Rumored interest from Bayern Munich might just show him the ay out the door but one may have to wait and see what happens

#1 Phillipe Coutinho

Brazil v Peru: Final - Copa America Brazil 2019
Brazil v Peru: Final - Copa America Brazil 2019

Phillipe Coutinho was signed in the January of 2018 to much fanfare and he delivered to the hype as he ended the season strongly. In the summer, he took the No. 7 upon himself and had a bright start to the season when he started in the team as an interior midfielder alongside Busquets and Rakitic.

But with defensive issues, Valverde decided to use Coutinho as a left-winger and started using Arthur much more in the midfield position which he made his own. There was a rough patch when he was benched in preference for Dembele as a left-winger.

As Coutinho's struggles seems to be going on and he doesn't seem to have a place in the squad as he prefers playing as a No. 10 which is occupied by none other than Lionel Messi. So the best options for both parties is to part ways as he doesn't fit Valverde's system and Griezmann's arrival just might hinder his place in the team. With added interest for Neymar, it is rumored Coutinho might be used as the pawn to bring Neymar bak to the Camp Nou

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Edited by Aaditya Narayan
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