With a little over 12 hours left before the summer transfer window slams shut, Barcelona could see some movement on the deadline day – both incoming and outgoing.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is almost certain to leave the club for Chelsea, with an agreement with the Blues on the horizon, while Sergino Dest is on the verge of joining AC Milan on a loan deal with a buy option.
More exits could materialise over the course of the deadline day, especially due to the fact that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be played later this year and players will need regular game-time in order to stay in contention to be selected for their respective national teams.
It could force stars, who are unlikely to be a big part of Xavi’s plans at Spotify Camp Nou, to consider an exit on the transfer deadline day.
Jordi Alba
A Barcelona legend in his own right, Alba is no longer an undisputed starter at left-back, with Alejandro Balde being preferred over him in the last two games. He could fall further out of relevance once the Blaugrana sign Marcos Alonso from Chelsea.
Should that happen, Alba’s place in the Spain squad for the World Cup could be in serious question. A move to Inter Milan has been spoken about in the past few hours and even though the 33-year-old wishes to continue at the club, the threat over his spot in the Spain roster could convince him to choose otherwise.
Martin Braithwaite
The Danish forward is completely out of favour at Barcelona and has been informed of his status quite a while ago. However, even after being told to find a new club, Braithwaite has so far appeared reluctant to leave as he does not wish to give up his lucrative contract.
A permanent fixture for the Denmark national team, if he stays at Barcelona, Braithwaite would receive no game-time whatsoever. And that could jeopardise his spot for the World Cup, which could convince him to part ways with the Catalans. A contract termination is on the cards for Braithwaite and could be completed before deadline.
Memphis Depay
Depay came close to leaving Barcelona this summer with Juventus appearing to be his destination. However, the Bianconeri decided to call off their pursuit of the Dutchman and decided to sign Arkadiusz Milik, leaving in him limbo.
Depay is an integral part of the Netherlands national team and there is no question of him being left out of the squad for the World Cup. But the player himself would need to play regularly to stay sharp and in form for the tournament, which could push him to pursue a move away on deadline day.