De Jong and Aubameyang among 7 players Barcelona want to offload to comply with FFP regulations: Reports

Barcelona are reportedly working on the potential sale of as many as seven players to meet the Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions, as per Mundo Deportivo (reported via Barca Universal).

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Frenkie de Jong, Samuel Umtiti, Sergino Dest, Memphis Depay, Martin Braithwaite, and Ez Abde are the seven players who are supposedly on the potential exit list.

Hoping to fare better than last season, Barcelona have brought in some prominent names this summer. However, due to FFP restrictions, they failed to register the new faces right away.

Ahead of their La Liga opener against Rayo Vallecano, Barca sold 24.5% of Barca Studios for €100 million, which allowed them to register six out of seven unregistered players. Joules Kounde is the only player remaining on standby and it is believed that the club require €20 million to register the former Sevilla man.

With talks with club captains over wage reductions and deferred payments coming to a standstill, selling players is seen as the quickest way to meet FFP regulations. However, the whole ordeal is easier said than done. Except for Depay, who is supposedly inching towards a Juventus transfer, no big reportedly player wishes to leave Nou Camp this summer.

Aubameyang and De Jong have interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, but neither are interested in leaving Camp Nou. Dest is reportedly not in Xavi’s plans for the season, but the USA international remains eager to stay and fight for his place.

Umtiti has been on the transfer list for a long time but does not have any concrete offers from prospective suitors (Rennes, Lyon, and Olympiacos). Braithwaite is not willing to leave the club due to his massive contract, but the Catalans are prepared to take drastic measures to push him out.

Finally, there is Abde, who could be loaned or sold, depending on the type of offer the club receives for him. The situation is delicate, and Barcelona must tread carefully to avoid unnecessary drama in the opening weeks of the new campaign.

---

Xavi is statistically Barcelona’s worst manager in 20 years

With a draw against Rayo Vallecano in their La Liga opener on Saturday (August 13), Barcelona endured an underwhelming start to the 2022-23 campaign. The draw not only saw Barca drop two important points but also handed an undesirable record to their manager Xavi.

As per FCBN, Xavi now has the worst win percentage out of all Barca managers in the last 20 years. The former World Cup-winning midfielder’s win percentage currently stands at 52.63% after 38 matches. Under Xavi, the club have only won 20 matches, drawn 10, and lost on eight occasions. Both Ronaldo Koeman (58.21%) and Quique Setien (64%) had a better win percentage when they were dismissed by the club.