Barcelona Must Offload These Four Stars to Salvage Their Summer Transfer Window
As the summer transfer window enters its final month, Barcelona isn't anticipating any new arrivals. Nevertheless, the club must continue working to move out surplus players from their roster.
Barcelona excelled in Spanish football throughout Hansi Flick's inaugural 2024–25 campaign. The squad appeared to have regained their status among the world's elite, with ambitions set on competing for all available trophies in 2025–26.
Yet, between last season's achievements and the lofty expectations ahead, Barcelona's persistent financial troubles have resurfaced as a primary concern this summer. The club faced difficulties completing three transfers, and Marcus Rashford along with Joan García remain unregistered for La Liga competition, with under three weeks until the season begins.
For Barcelona to successfully register their new acquisitions, they require additional funds. The most straightforward approach to generate revenue before the season starts involves selling players to raise capital and continue their gradual journey toward financial stability.
Here are four players Barcelona must find purchasers for this summer.
Inaki Pena
Iñaki Peña's tenure with his childhood club appears to be ending. Even with Marc-André ter Stegen recovering from back surgery, Barcelona are content to manage their captain's absence using new arrival Joan García and Wojciech Szczęsny—the keeper who displaced Peña as starter last season.
The academy product performed adequately but not exceptionally during his lengthy stint as Barcelona's first-choice goalkeeper last season. Flick's faith in him diminished after he arrived late to training early in 2025, creating an opportunity for Szczęsny to debut for Barça and claim the starting position.
With García arriving as Barcelona's future number one, Peña now ranks as Flick's third choice entering the season—dropping to fourth once Ter Stegen recovers. Put simply, Peña is surplus to requirements, and following 16 La Liga appearances last season, his market value has peaked, making this the ideal time for Barça to sell.
Peña's departure from Barcelona this summer seems virtually certain, though the club might delay considering he's presently the only eligible goalkeeper available for their opening La Liga match.
Ronald Araujo
Ronald Araújo represents Barcelona's most valuable asset among players Flick appears willing to release this summer.
Last season proved disastrous for Araújo. He was sidelined for the first half of the campaign due to injury, and upon his return, he couldn't consistently displace Pau Cubarsí or Iñigo Martínez in Flick's starting eleven. Most concerning was his on-field performance. The Uruguayan defender appeared uncertain and error-prone, invariably making crucial mistakes at the worst moments.
Barcelona's center-back department is overcrowded, and the plan throughout summer has involved releasing one defender. While Andreas Christensen has been the primary departure candidate discussed, Araújo's name has gained increasing prominence recently.
Clubs from Serie A, the Premier League, and even Real Madrid have shown interest in Araújo. At just 26 years old, Araújo retains significant potential, and Barcelona could secure a considerable transfer fee.
Gerard Martin
Gerard Martín functioned as Alejandro Balde's understudy last season, but the academy graduate doesn't match Flick's preferred left-back characteristics.
Martín lacks the attacking threat and doesn't provide the pace and constant overlapping runs down the left wing that Balde delivers, or that Alphonso Davies provided under Flick during his breakthrough 2020 season at Bayern Munich.
Martín operates more as a conservative fullback who's hesitant in attack—except for the Champions League semifinal second leg against Inter Milan where he recorded two assists. During preseason, Flick has highlighted 18-year-old left-back Jofre Torrents as one of the promising young talents.
Torrents better embodies Flick's positional requirements than Martín, potentially earning him the opportunity to serve as Balde's deputy in 2025–26. Torrent's emergence undoubtedly poses a significant challenge to Martín's role under the German coach.
Oriol Romeu
Considerable excitement surrounded Oriol Romeu when the midfielder emerged from La Masia nearly 15 years ago. Today, Romeu hasn't developed into the player many anticipated, and Barcelona seeks to part ways with him for the second time in his career.
Romeu spent the 2024–25 season on loan at Girona. After appearing in 37 matches for Barcelona during Xavi Hernández's final managerial season, Flick's arrival led to an immediate decision that Romeu wasn't included in his plans. A summer later, circumstances remain unchanged, and Flick excluded him from the team's preseason tour.
The 33-year-old remained in Barcelona while the club works to finalize his permanent exit. Barcelona are reportedly considering releasing Romeu on a free transfer, simply to remove his wages from their payroll.
The former Chelsea and Southampton player has maintained professional standards, but clearly his Barcelona chapter has concluded.