5 Barcelona players who could be available in January 

Over the years FC Barcelona has been home to many world-class players. The likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Thiery Henry, Xavi, Iniesta and much more have graced the pitch at the Nou Camp.

Given the level of competition in today's game, it has become difficult for clubs to challenge in all competitions without having a big squad.

FC Barcelona is no exception, they want to win every competition they participate in which means they need to have one of the biggest squads in world football.

But, having a big squad means that there will be players who are likely to become dissatisfied if they do not get adequate playing time.

Though their famous academy; La Masia has provided them with many world-class players, the club has also signed many players and recently they have come under scrutiny for their transfer dealings with many of these purchases failing to make a mark at the Camp Nou.

Last summer, the club was heavily linked with a move for Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho and according to reports, they are again set to test Liverpool's resolve in the January transfer window.

This would mean that they will have to sell some players.

Here, we look at 5 players who could be available in January

#5 Javier Mascherano

The experienced Argentine may be looking for one last big payday before retirement

Javier has won almost everything there is to win with Barcelona. He has won 2 UEFA Champions League titles, 4 La Liga and 4 Copa Del Rey titles and was also a crucial part of the team which won the treble in 2015.

Now at the age of 33, he is featuring less frequently even when he is fit to play. After a long-term injury to Samuel Umtiti, it was expected that Mascherano will feature more but instead, manager Ernesto Valverde has preferred to play Thomas Vermaelen.

Recently the former Liverpool midfielder revealed that his time at Barca is coming to an end as he feels there is not much more he can do at the club.He also said that he did not like the way he left Liverpool and hopes that the same does not happen at the club.

His current contract ends in 2019 and given that he has made just 10 appearances this season, a move back to Argentina could also be on the cards. According to FC Barcelona director, Guillermo Amor, the future of Javier Mascherano will be sorted soon.

Though opportunities will be limited for the former West Ham player, given his experience, he can provide good cover so if he leaves in January, Barca must sign a replacement for him.

# 4 Rafinha

The injury-prone youngster may need to move if he is to have any hope of making it to the World Cup

Rafinha is a product of La Masia and the younger brother of Bayern Munich star Thiago Alcântara. The injury-prone midfielder has never been a regular for FC Barcelona.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has said that the Brazilian is considering the idea of moving to Italy, England or Germany.

It is also been reported that Barcelona will be happy to allow the midfielder to leave for $15-$20m.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus, AS Roma, and Valencia all have been linked with a move for the midfielder. With the World Cup coming up next summer, a move away from could boost his chances of making to Russia as he likely to get more playing time.

According to Don Balon, Rafinha has told current Barca manager Ernesto Valverde that he wants to leave the club. Arsene Wenger has identified the Brazilian as the man he wants to replace Mesut Özil who has less than sixth months left on his current Arsenal contract.

If Rafinha goes, it will be a good move for him given that he is a talented midfielder whose career has been hampered by injuries. At the age of 24, he can very well work on his fitness and still has plenty to offer.

#3 Aleix Vidal

The Spanish wing-back has not had the best of times since moving to the club in 2015

The Spaniard was signed when Barca was going through a transfer embargo in 2015, which did not allow them to field players which they signed that summer. As a result, he did not feature for Barca until January 2016.

Since then, he has found playing time hard to come by garnering roughly 1,200 league minutes over the past few seasons with injuries a major reason for this state of affairs.

Before he moved to Barca, he was considered to be one of the most promising full-backs in La Liga having played for Almeria and Sevilla where he contributed a total of 10 assists and 10 goals in two seasons ( not bad for a fullback).

Valencia and AS Roma are said to be considering a move for the right back. It is believed that there has been contact between the clubs and the player's agent, only the fee is to be agreed with Barca.

The move makes sense as the Blaugrana already have Nelson Semedo and Sergio Roberto who are capable of playing in his preferred position.

Vidal is still a good player and is a good option for clubs who are looking to bolster their squads.

#2 Gerard Deulofeu

The La Masia graduate has been disappointing since his return

Barcelona re-signed their former academy graduate from Everton after he impressed on loan at AC Milan. However, he has been unable to carry on his form from the San Siro to the Camp Nou and has become a fringe player.

According to Spanish media outlet, Don Balon, Deulofeu has already informed his teammates that he will leave the club, in order to play more.

The former Everton winger believes that the return of Ousame Dembele means that there is no place for him at the club. Recently, he was left out of the Barca squad for the game against Villarreal and he is finding his game time severely restricted.

Napoli is looking to sign the Spaniard on loan in the January transfer window and it is believed that the 23-year-old is keen on the move.

Deulofeu still has plenty to offer and if he gets regular playing time, he will definitely improve.

#1 Arda Turan

The former Turkish captain will definitely leave after a disastrous spell at the Nou Camp

Since his move to FC Barcelona, things haven't gone very well for the Turkish international.

He was signed from Atletico Madrid at a time when he was a superstar and many things were expected of him when he moved to the Camp Nou.

He has scored 15 goals in 55 appearances for Barca and according to reports, he has been told that he has no future under current manager Ernesto Valverde and is free to leave in January.

He is the only senior player who is yet to make an appearance in any competitive fixture for the club and he has been completely frozen out.

The former Atletico Madrid winger has been linked to Arsenal, Galatasaray and the Chinese Super Leauge.

It is believed that Barca wants to sell him and clear their wage bill so that they can accommodate other targets such Leon Goretzka, Mesut Özil or Philippe Coutinho.

According to his agent, his client's days at Barcelona are numbered and that there are plenty of offers from teams in Spain, England, and Italy.

Any club which signs Turan would definitely be taking a risk considering his injury record and how long it has been since he has played competitive football.