Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez has excluded five players from the club’s pre-season tour of the United States as they have been instructed to find new clubs.
The Blaugrana are set to jet off to the US next week but Xavi has made decisions over the future of the quintet, who will play no part in the tour. It follows on from the club’s choice to allow central defender Clement Lenglet to join Tottenham on a season-long loan deal.
Barca have confirmed two summer arrivals into their first-team squad as Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie – two deals that have been in place since March – have joined the club as free agents from Chelsea and Milan respectively, although they now need to slim down their squad in order to facilitate further arrivals into the club.
The Catalan giants remain hopeful of signing Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Leeds winger Raphinha and Chelsea defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso. The Blaugrana are said by Diario AS to be more confident than ever of a deal to sign long-serving Blues defender Cesar Azpilicueta this summer while they are also hopeful of completing a deal to sign Marcos Alonso from Chelsea too.
It has now been outlined by a report in Mundo Deportivo that five players have been told they will play no part in the club’s pre-season tour as they may all be sold by the club. It follows on from a similar message to Lenglet, who has since joined Spurs.
Riqui Puig has one year remaining on his contract and while the club have not entirely ruled out the possibility that will be renewed, they are keen for him to leave this summer on a loan deal to get more first-team experience elsewhere.
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Another player who the club are hopeful of moving on is Brazilian goalkeeper Neto, who has been a backup to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen at the Camp Nou over the past few seasons. The player’s agent is currently looking for a new club for the former Valencia shot-stopper.
Defensive pair Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza have also been told they can find new clubs, with the arrival of Christensen and impending arrivals of Azpilicueta and Alonso set to further reduce their possibilities of first-team action for the forthcoming campaign. Also on his way out if Albanian striker Rey Manaj, who is believed to be on the verge of joining Watford.
Barca’s tour of the US will start on 20 July against Inter Miami in Florida before facing Real Madrid in Las Vegas four days later and then taking on Juventus in Dallas on 26 July. They will conclude their tour of the US with a clash against New York Red Bulls on 31 July.
