Ernesto Valverde Hints At Two Barcelona Players Who Could Leave In January

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has dropped a hint that two players could leave the club in January.

The 54-year-old Spaniard is pushing forward with the club's campaign in La Liga, but he will also want to make progress in the Champions League this season.

However, Valverde revealed that Malcom, who signed from Bordeaux in the summer, and Denis Suárez could leave the club before the transfer window shuts.

"We are happy with the squad, but there are always possibilities for departures for those who maybe do not feature as often," he said (via Football Espana).

"Those players could stay here and we would be happy or they could leave in search of more opportunities, we will evaluate all possibilities for them.

"We work internally and there is a lot of planning involved of which I am a part, but we will see how the market progresses.

"Frenkie de Jong? That is a question for the player, not for me, and we will wait to see what he then says or decides.

"He will make up his own mind and all we can focus on are players who want to be at Barcelona."

Malcom has only made six appearances for Barcelona since his arrival at the Camp Nou, failing to become a regular starter under Valverde.

Suárez, on the other hand, has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the January window.

While Barcelona could allow both players to leave this month -- it's unknown if it's on loan or a permanent transfer -- Valverde was able to land Kevin-Prince Boateng on loan from Sassuolo.

Barça have the option to make the deal permanent for the 31-year-old in the summer for £7.1m.

"[Boateng] doesn't seem to need much time to adapt," Valverde said. "He knows his stuff and can start playing straight away.

"He's comfortable in many positions, as a central striker or playing off another striker, and even deeper too."

How far will Barcelona progress in the Champions League this season?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Bordeaux, Football, Barcelona, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Malcom, Champions League, Ernesto Valverde, La Liga, Camp Nou

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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