Food For Thought – Three Players Barcelona Should Sell In The Summer

Camp Nou outfit, Barcelona, haven’t been very lucky in their dealings in the transfer market of recent, and the transfer ban they suffered seems to have made them forget how to make the right signings all of a sudden.

Despite boasting of one of the best starting lineups in the world, Barcelona’s bench doesn’t have quality players able to step up and perform well whenever injury or fatigue strikes Luis Enrique’s choice starters.

As 2016-17 draws to an end, preparing for the next season begins now, and the summer transfer window would present Barcelona the opportunity to strengthen their squad.

While at it, letting go of a couple of players is pertinent in order to bring in others, and here are 3 players Barcelona should sell in the summer transfer window to make them more formidable in squad depth.

Rafinha

In all honesty, the Brazilian can’t be considered surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, but he won’t be breaking into the starting XI anytime soon, and it’s why offers for him must be accepted come summer.

Like his brother, he has always shown promises, but he needs to leave in order to go stake a claim on a starting shirt elsewhere if he is to make the grade as far as the Brazilian senior team is concerned.

At 23, a permanent spot on the bench should be far from being associated with Rafinha, and both club and player are definitely stuck in between the devil and the deep blue sea. Like Thiago, he has the chances of establishing himself elsewhere, but his growth continues to stunt at Barcelona.

He won’t be getting anywhere near one of the 3 midfield berths available in the starting XI soon, and neither is he even the first substitute off the bench in games.

Sanctioning his sales would be a way to go.

Jeremy Mathieu

The former Valencia man is clearly unable to adapt to Barcelona’s style of play. From his inability to help in the buildup of play from the back to his own goals and frequent errors, the French defender has hardly impressed since his arrival at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

At 33, there isn’t any more improvement he can make, and he has done nothing rather than becoming an additional burden to the Catalan’s defensive woes.

Barcelona definitely would be making more additions to their backline come summer, they must, and there wouldn’t be any further need for a Mathieu whose quality has always left little to be desired.

Ivan Rakitic

Getting rid of the Croatian is a brave step Barcelona mustn’t hesitate to take come summer. He hasn’t been entirely bad, but considering his inconsistency and drop in form over the last 2 seasons, selling him for profit when he still has some market values would be a wise move.

His pass accuracy per game has reduced and so has his key passes and general creative level. The 28-year-old has seen his game time reduced, starting just 12 La Liga games this term, and finishing just 8.

Rakitic’s influence in the heart of Barcelona midfield is dwindling, and so is his prowess. The club can get a better replacement for a price, with fees from his sales helping to generate funds. He has definitely not been the Xavi replacement he was recruited to be, and the search for a better fit must continue.