Who’ll leave Barça this summer? Ansu, Ferran among potential exits

As Barcelona plan next season’s squad, they know they must first sort out who’s leaving before firming up incoming transfers. In principle, Barça aren’t expected to offload a large number of players this summer. Indeed, AS understands that the Blaugrana don’t plan on moving out any more than four current members of their first-team squad.

García set for summer Barcelona exit

In defence, all the indications are that centre-back Eric García will leave, particularly if Iñigo Martínez’s arrival from Athletic Club is confirmed. Martínez, who is a free agent in the summer, has reached a verbal agreement with Barça over an end-of-season switch. The rest of Xavi Hernández’s defenders have the complete confidence of the Barça head coach and his backroom team - including Jordi Alba, who is out of contract in 2024 and has adapted to his new first-team role impeccably.

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Loan move for Torre in the offing

In midfield, Barça are waiting for a decision from Sergio Busquets on his future. The veteran isn’t expected to depart, however, and - as in defence - only one midfielder has been earmarked for the exit door. Nineteen-year-old Pablo Torre is in line for a move - but not a permanent one. Barça’s coaches are aware that another season without regular game time will be harmful to his development as a player, so it’s anticipated that he’ll be sent out on loan to another club in the Spanish top-flight.

Ansu and Ferran in line to leave Camp Nou?

The one area of the pitch where Barça aren’t ruling out major changes of personnel is in attack, chiefly because the Catalans urgently need to free up salary space to be able to make the signings they want this summer. Two names appear at the top of the list of potential casualties: Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres.

When it comes to Ansu - whose young career has been ravaged by injury - Barça are yet to make a decision, and his future remains the subject of intense debate within the club. On the one hand, he’s seen as an asset whose sale would provide a significant financial boost; but, on the other hand, there is a feeling that his departure would be premature, given his youth - he’s still only 21 - and the difficulty of finding top strikers on the transfer market.

As for Ferran, the problem for Barça is that they are unlikely to be able to sell the 23-year-old without making a loss on him. To avoid that, they’d have to attract a fee of around €35 million - a sum that’s not realistic right now, given how far his market value has fallen since he arrived at the Camp Nou from Manchester City. Whatever happens with Ferran, Barça are only considering selling him out of financial, rather than sporting, necessity: on the pitch, Xavi and his staff still see him as a useful, reliable member of their squad.

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Several loanees set to be shipped back out

On top of the potential departures above, Barcelona also have a number of loanees who are due to return to Catalonia in the summer, and who the club will look to move out on a temporary deal once more. They include Sergiño Dest, Clément Lenglet and Álex Collado. With Nico González and Ez Abde, the situation is different: the former is highly rated at Barça, but is still seen as being a little ‘green’, while the LaLiga leaders are planning to add the latter to their senior squad next term.