Barcelona: A busy summer ahead for Laporta & Co.

One of the most influential clubs in world football, FC Barcelona is going through a major overhaul. The club faces a reported debt of £862 million and could be offloading up to 18 players during the transfer window. We will cover all the major news regarding the club below.

Barcelona 2021-22: Summer Transfers and Potential Exits

The top target seems to be Memphis Depay, whose contract with Olympique Lyon runs out on the 30th of June. The 27 year old has been in great form for Lyon, scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists in Ligue 1 last season. Barcelona have already secured Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia from Manchester City. Signing Depay, who is in the prime of his career, on a free transfer, could be regarded as a great business move.

The transfer has not been without its share of drama. Initial reports suggested that Juventus had submitted a more generous offer than Barcelona. However, the Dutch forward remains set to join Barcelona.

Memphis Depay will join Barcelona as a free agent, contract to be signed soon and here we go. 🔵🔴 #FCBRonald Koeman confirms to Voetbal International: “The deal is almost done. Not signed yet, but it’s almost completed. I strongly wanted him since months”. 🇳🇱 #Depay https://t.co/SSsGJjpwex

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 16, 2021

Depay declined to comment on the rumors and expressed his desire to solely focus on the Netherlands' performance at EURO 2020. However, other reports state that the confirmation of the transfer could even arrive in the next couple of weeks.

Memphis Depay (left) with Netherlands teammate and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong

Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is also reportedly a target as the player has expressed his desire to play at Camp Nou. However, given Barcelona's financial position, it could be a complicated transfer to achieve.

Although two out of the three confirmed Barcelona signings this summer have been free transfers, the acquisition of Aguero and Eric Garcia has impacted the wages of the club. Barcelona reportedly spend £238,513,600 per year on wages, the highest in club football. President Joan Laporta is reported to be looking to offload some players to keep a tight leash on the wage bill.

Philippe Coutinho, Miralem Pjanic and Antoine Griezmann are reportedly the main players Barcelona will be looking to sell. Coutinho was bought for £142 million from Liverpool in 2018, but has struggled to adapt at the club after a bright start. He was then loaned out to Bayern Munich, where he won the treble in the 2019-20 season.

Coutinho returned to Barcelona for the 2020-21 campaign, but only made 14 appearances before an injury ended his season. The Brazilian reportedly earns £406,000 per week which is presently the third highest at the club.

Pjanic was purchased from Juventus in the summer of 2020 with Arthur Melo going the other way. Although the numbers suggested the deal was profitable for Barcelona, it has proved to be quite a shambolic transfer.

The experienced midfielder was brought in but has found life difficult in Spain. Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has preferred younger players over Pjanic. Additionally, Sergio Busquets's return to form has meant the Bosnian did not feature prominently for the Blaugrana.

Pjanic made 30 appearances for Barcelona last season, but started only on two occasions and did not register an assist or goal. The midfielder reportedly earns £271,000 per week which makes him the fourth highest paid player at the club. Recent reports state that the player has been linked with a return to Juventus.

Antoine Griezmann had an excellent 2020-21 club season. He made 51 appearances, scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists. Nevertheless, the player has entered his 30s and currently earns £594,000 a week. It is also worth noting that Barcelona paid £107 million to acquire his services and so far, the France forward has not justified the fee. In an interview with L'Equipe, Griezmann expressed his unhappiness at Barcelona stating,

"At the beginning of the season, because I wasn’t playing, I didn’t feel important. I’m used to playing everything – the big games – I find myself on the bench against Real Madrid. It’s annoying to see teammates warming up on the pitch while you are next to them."

Antoine Griezmann is yet to unlock his full potential in Barcelona colours

There are also some concerns regarding the future of veteran centreback Gerard Pique. The defender had an injury prone season last year which resulted in him making only 13 appearances. However, it does seem like Barcelona value his experience and he could stay on for another year.

Right-back Sergi Roberto is another player who is likely to depart the club. Barcelona presently have good options in the position with USA international Sergiño Dest enjoying an excellent 2020-21 campaign. The recent purchase of Emerson Royal from Real Betis for £8 million could also mean Barcelona might sell Roberto this summer.

Samuel Umtiti is another player who could potentially exit the club. The French defender arrived in 2016 and initially impressed at the heart of Barcelona's defence. Umtiti was regarded as a potential long-term starter, but injuries have derailed his career. Since winning the World Cup with France in 2018, the player has spent more time recovering from injuries than on the pitch. Umtiti made only a total of 16 appearances for the club last season.

Samuel Umtiti (left) with Antoine Griezmann (centre) and Ousmane Dembele (right) training with Barcelona

If Barcelona manage to offload at least two or three of their highest earning players, the club will be in a better position financially. The signings of Aguero, Garcia, Emerson and potentially Depay have ushered in a new sense of hope within fans. Barcelona also have some excellent youngsters in their ranks, with the likes of Pedri, Oscar Mingueza and Ronald Araujo impressing during the 2020-21 season. President Laporta seems to have a roadmap in mind for the future and only time will tell if his moves will pay off.