Barcelona fell behind Real Madrid in the 2023/24 season, as their great rivals in the capital ran away with the LaLiga crown one season after the Blaugrana dominated the landscape of Spanish football.
Joan Laporta and Deco are headed for another pivotal summer transfer window with or without Xavi, and in order to sign the major upgrades they want in the attack and at the 6 spot, Barcelona are going to have to make some significant sales.
Here are three star players Barcelona could part ways with this summer.
ST Robert Lewandowski
There’s a case to be made that despite the rampant criticism he faces, Robert Lewandowski was the most important Barcelona player of the 2023/24 season, just as he was in 2022/23 when the Blaugrana won LaLiga.
Ilkay Gundogan and young phenom Lamine Yamal are absolutely in the discussion, but, statistically speaking, Lewandowski stood alone for Barcelona with a team-high 17 goals while placing second on the team with 8 assists.
The problem is that Lewandowski makes well over 20 million euros per season and is 35 years old. He has value to Barcelona right now but very little in the future because of his age.
Barcelona could try to cash in on Lewandowski by selling him to a contending Premier League side that is a world-class striker away from being a Champions League threat.
Then, Barca can use the money to sign another forward, perhaps Rafael Leao or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. It is risky selling the top scorer on the team, but this may save the club a ton of money in wages.
CM Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong was arguably the best midfielder in LaLiga last season for champions Barcelona, but his play fell off in the 2023/24 season without a top 6; Sergio Busquets left to MLS.
The Dutchman wasn’t as mediocre as he was before the 2022/23 breakout season, but the 27-year-old was still disappointing, failing to take a step forward in the prime of his career.
Barcelona could decide to sell de Jong, as they have a lot of talent in midfield, save for the 6 position. They may have to sell de Jong in order to sign a top defensive midfielder, sacrificing one of their best players for someone who could be more important.
RW Raphinha
Raphinha isn’t the most hyped right winger in the world, but the Brazilian left-footer was key to Barcelona with his assists in his first season when they won the title and has been just as clutch in 2023/24.
The lone true star of the Champions League quarterfinal exit to PSG, Raphinha has 6 goals and 9 assists in the 2023/24 LaLiga season as a nifty all-around threat.
But Raphinha is not the starter over Yamal. He is also one of the few players Barcelona could possibly sell for over 50 million euros.
They could sacrifice the 27-year-old in order to afford a younger and better player to start on the left wing across from Yamal.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.