Transfer plans... Deco decides to sell two Barcelona players

According to the Catalan newspaper *Sport*, Barcelona’s sporting directorate has already begun drawing up its plans for next season.

Two names stand out on the list of players set to leave Barça: Ferran Torres and Marc Casado.

Their potential departure would facilitate the completion of several deals that the club considers a priority to strengthen the squad for the new season.

The situation is now crystal clear regarding Ferran Torres, whose contract runs until 2027, but the club has not yet offered him a new deal, which is a significant indication of his current standing within the Catalan side.

This season, Ferran has faced a real test as a pure striker; he has been given a prominent role, sufficient playing time and has delivered consistent performances, to the extent that at times his influence has been greater than that of Lewandowski himself. However, the club believes he has not met the expectations placed upon him, according to the newspaper ‘Sport’.

The statistics do little to change this perception. Ferran has not scored a goal since 31 January, when he found the net against Elche, and since then his attacking role has diminished, at a time when Barcelona were in desperate need of more firepower up front.

With one year remaining on his contract at the end of next season, his potential sale is seen as a highly attractive deal financially, both in terms of the revenue it could generate and the space it would free up in the wage bill.

The name Marc Casado has resurfaced once again, a name that features heavily in Barcelona’s plans.

The midfielder’s contract runs until 2028, a year longer than Ferran Torres’s, and just over a month ago, initial attempts were made to discuss the possibility of renewing it.

This was not the first time the club had sought to assess his situation.

Last summer, Barcelona moved to ascertain his intentions, and in fact, a direct conversation took place between Casado and Hans Flick. The manager wanted to know his plans, and the player’s response was categorical: “I’m staying.” Since then, the discussion has been considered closed.

Nevertheless, Casado’s name has not been off the transfer market’s radar. Several clubs have shown great interest in him, with Atlético Madrid among the most persistent, having made an offer last January. They were not the only ones.

Now, we must see whether his lack of playing time and failure to secure a prominent role will prompt him to reconsider his future, despite his full commitment to Barcelona; in any case, the matter remains open from the club’s perspective.

The potential departure of these two players fits perfectly with Deco’s plans to rebuild the Catalan side.

The priority is to sign a top-class striker, with Atlético Madrid star Julián Álvarez the main target, as well as extending Robert Lewandowski’s contract for another year, albeit on reduced terms after four seasons as the team’s leading goalscorer.

The Polish striker arrived from Bayern Munich on one of the highest-value contracts in the Blaugrana’s history, and the club realises that any extension of his contract must be adapted to the new situation.

Barcelona’s sporting plans do not stop there; the club also intends to sign a centre-back, with Alessandro Bastoni among the favourites, as well as a promising left-winger.

The list of candidates includes names such as Scheldrop, Jan Verrilli and Víctor Muñoz, but in any case, there is one non-negotiable condition: the salary must be within the club’s means, given the financial difficulties the club continues to face.

For this very reason, signing this winger is no easy task; in fact, the chances of Marcus Rashford remaining at the club have diminished significantly.

The €30 million buy-back option, included in his loan deal, remains a substantial sum for Barcelona, even if it could be paid in instalments. Added to this is his high salary, which further complicates the club’s compliance with Financial Fair Play regulations.

In this context, the possibility of Ferran Torres and Marc Casado leaving is gaining momentum in Deco’s plans, not only because of their sporting importance, but also because they could be key to kick-starting a large part of the rebuilding process that Barcelona are seeking to undertake this summer.