Barcelona's Pre-Season Decisions: Six Players Sent Away
With most of the World Cup contingent finally back at Ciutat Esportiva, FC Barcelona’s pre-season has moved into its decisive phase. The squad is close to its definitive shape. That means decisions, and some of them are already biting.
The serious injury suffered by Roony Bardghji on Monday has sharpened minds inside the club. In a transfer window this delicate, Barça have no intention of risking further setbacks with players whose futures lie elsewhere. The response has been swift: the training plan has changed, and so have the faces in the main group.
Six sent to work alone
According to Carlos Monfort of SPORT, six players who had been working daily under Hansi Flick have now been pulled from full first-team dynamics and placed on individual programmes, away from the core squad.
The list is long and telling: Jofre Torrents, Marc Casado, Hector Fort, Tommy Marques, Toni Fernandez and Guille Fernandez.
Torrents is the clearest case. His move to Ajax is essentially done, the agreement in place for days. Only administrative details have held up the announcement. Barça are simply protecting an asset that is about to walk out the door.
Casado has been on the brink of departure for some time. The midfielder is in no rush to jump at the first offer. Proposals from Saudi Arabia are on the table, alongside interest from several European clubs, and he is still weighing up where to take the next step in his career.
Fort finds himself in a similar position. The right-back understands that minutes at the Spotify Camp Nou will be scarce and that he needs a new home to keep progressing. Interest is not a problem. Several Premier League clubs, with Fulham among them, have already signalled they are open to a permanent deal.
Tommy Marques has also been informed of his fate. Since last week, he has known he must find a new destination before the window shuts. Barcelona’s preference is clear: a permanent transfer to bring in a fee and free space. But if the offers do not reach the club’s valuation, a loan remains on the table. SC Braga are in the race and waiting for Barça’s answer.
La Masia talent at a crossroads
The group of six is completed by two of La Masia’s most gifted youngsters, Guille Fernandez and Toni Fernandez. Both impressed enough to be included in the first phase of pre-season. Both now stand at a crossroads.
Their performances have not gone unnoticed. A wide range of clubs are circling, open to both permanent deals and loan moves. Barcelona, for their part, are prepared to protect their investment. If either leaves on loan, the club plans to renew contracts first, locking in their future before letting them gain experience elsewhere.
For now, they train apart, on the fringes of a first team that is being narrowed down day by day. The message is unmistakable: the auditions are over. The market will decide where this group of six lands, but at Barça, the door to the first-team dressing room is already closing behind them.
