Sporting director Deco is working overtime to find new clubs for four Barcelona players no longer wanted by head coach Hansi Flick.
Barcelona may have fallen to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals, but under Hansi Flick they still had a strong domestic season. The Blaugrana secured La Liga, finishing four points clear of Real Madrid, and defeated Los Blancos in a heated Copa del Rey final to complete the double.
Yet Flick is fully aware that resting on his laurels is not an option, especially if he hopes to maintain this momentum into next season.
Reports suggest the German manager has already earmarked four players as surplus to requirements and has asked the club to offload them to clear the way for new arrivals.
Barcelona are close to sealing a move for Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, prizing the talented winger away from Bilbao. They’ve also secured a deal for Espanyol’s 24-year-old goalkeeper Joan García, who will challenge and eventually take over from club captain Marc-André ter Stegen.
With further reinforcements on Flick’s wishlist, Deco has been instructed to facilitate the sales of the unwanted players — though their exits are unlikely to significantly impact Flick’s tactical setup.
Ansu Fati, Iñaki Peña, Oriol Romeu, and Pablo Torre are the four names reportedly set to leave, according to Fichajes via Sempre Barca.
Fati, the 22-year-old Spanish international and La Masia product, only managed three La Liga starts last season. Given his hefty salary expectations, moving him on may be a challenge — yet freeing up his wages is one of Flick’s key motivations for greenlighting his departure, as per Sempre Barca.
Barcelona’s intentions for Iñaki Peña became evident with the signing of Joan García, who is expected to become Ter Stegen’s backup. Peña started 15 league games last season but will likely see his playing time disappear altogether following the club’s summer additions.
As for Oriol Romeu, the former Chelsea midfielder has hardly figured for Barça since returning to the Camp Nou in 2023. The 33-year-old spent last season on loan at Girona and appears to have little future at his boyhood club.
Pablo Torre’s situation, however, is more nuanced. The 19-year-old recently featured for Spain’s Under-21s before they were eliminated by England on Saturday. Unlike the others, Torre still has youth on his side and retains Flick’s support — despite reports that the club could do without him.
“Word is that Torre will head out on loan this summer, with Villarreal the most probable destination,” states Sempre Barca. “Flick appreciates his talent but feels he needs regular game time elsewhere to continue his development.”
