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Only Three Barcelona Players Are Safe From Transfers As Club Set For Big Exits Due To The Coronavirus

Only Three Barcelona Players Are Safe From Transfers As Club Set For Big Exits Due To The Coronavirus

Club president Bartomeu has explained the situation Barcelona find themselves in because of the current health crisis.

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar

Lionel Messi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Frenkie de Jong are the only players safe at Barcelona this summer as the club predict less spending because of the coronavirus crisis.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu remains adamant that they would still be capable of signing the world's best players, but said deals could be structured in a different way after the global pandemic.

"There is not going to be as much money in the transfer market because of the pandemic," he explained. "But I predict that we are going to see a lot more swap deals."

There's a belief inside the Barcelona camp that several players will either have to be sold or included in potential transfers in order to purchase new talent during the major summer overhaul.

Sources tell ESPN that only Messi, Ter Stegen and De Jong are exempt from being transferred.

Image: PA
Image: PA
Image: PA
Image: PA

Barcelona have reportedly identified Inter Milan's Lautaro Martínez and Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar as their main summer transfer targets.

The Argentine forward has a €111 million release clause, yet the Spanish outfit aren't expected to meet Inter's valuation and have discussed the possibility of including players to lower the fee.

Neymar, meanwhile, has been the subject of intense transfer speculation with the player reportedly keen on returning to Catalunya.

Further reports suggest that in an "ideal world" Barcelona would sign both superstar attackers. However, there's now a realisation they'll only sign one of the two.

Image: PA
Image: PA

Just like many football clubs around Europe, the coronavirus outbreak has badly hit Barcelona's revenue stream which has altered the club's attack when the transfer window reopens.

Will they land Martinez or Neymar? Watch this space.

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Topics: Football News, Barcelona, Messi, Neymar, Coronavirus