The two stars Barcelona will 'prioritise selling' to fund their summer transfer business
- Barcelona need to sell star players in order to buy in the summer
- Every member of the first-team squad is considered 'transferable' but club would prefer to keep certain players
- Raphinha and Jules Kounde drumming up interest from England and Saudi Arabia
By Sean Walsh
Barcelona want to sell Jules Kounde and Raphinha in order to raise funds to buy players during the summer transfer window, according to a report.
Barca's financial issues have been well documented over the last few years, significantly being unable to re-sign Lionel Messi to a new contract in 2021 and then needing to activate 'levers' in order to give them greater flexibility in the market a year later.
Two players signed under this plan were Kounde from Sevilla and Raphinha from Leeds United, but both are now in danger of being forced out of the club to make way for new players.
Catalan outlet SPORT report Barcelona have been planning for the summer window and have deduced that at least two players with a high transfer valuation will need to be moved on by June 30 if they are to have greater flexibility in the market.
Raphinha has previously resisted Barcelona's attempts to sell him but he is in danger of losing his place in the side due to the emergence of teenage starlet Lamine Yamal. He is said to be the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia, while 90min reported last month he is on Tottenham Hotspur's radar.
Kounde is in a similar situation as Pau Cubarsi has become a regular at centre-back, with the Frenchman often shifted to his unfavourable right-back position. SPORT add that Kounde is of interest to Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Every member of the first-team squad is considered 'transferable', though there are players who Barcelona would prefer to keep hold of. For example, Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong - who are both members of the team's leadership group - would only be sold for fees ranging from €80m to €100m, but as they are seen as absolutely strategic players at a sporting level, they will not be forced out of the club.
Barca also intend to keep hold of their homegrown players unless they receive an 'off-market offer'. Alejandro Balde was drumming up such interest prior to sustaining a serious hamstring injury.
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