The mood around Barcelona is optimistic. The Blaugrana have the opportunity to savour a major title for the first time since 2019, winning La Liga with games to spare. Up ahead, the reports of grand (viability) plans and attractive names are seducing Cules when it comes to next season too.
None more so than that of Lionel Messi, who is now openly a target for the Blaugrana. Yet none of it will be possible, Messi, the signings, or even the plan itself, without sales. A key part of their plan close the gap between wage bill and salary limit is player sales.
Various names have been linked with the exit door, but one that seems like almost a foregone conclusion is Franck Kessie. The Ivorian midfielder pitched in with useful contributions in the months of February and March, but has had a discreet opening campaign in Catalonia.
Having arrived on a free, and with a good reputation in Italy, Kessie’s prospective sale would be pure profit for Barcelona, and in accounting terms, a major bonus in their salary limit struggles.
He has interest from Inter, Juventus and Milan in Italy, as well as from Premier League sides, but according to Sport, does not want to leave. The Ivorian is content with his life in Barcelona, and wants to succeed at Camp Nou. While he has struggled for minutes, he did score the winner in a Clasico and collect a winners medal at the end.
This, ultimately, is Barcelona’s biggest challenge. While it is all very well speaking about the sales of Kessie, Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, and more, the reality is those players have to want to leave. Kessie has another three years on his deal, and is in no rush to leave. The players Barcelona want to sell have not performed well this season, and their offers are in most cases likely to be from less attractive clubs than Barcelona.
While the Blaugrana are ultimately content that Frenkie de Jong stayed last summer, having been excellent this season, he did show that it is possible to withstand the pressure of the Barcelona ‘entorno’ and remain at the club.
There is nothing to suggest that Kessie, Torres, and Fati will not do the same this summer. Mateu Alemany and Joan Laporta’s trickiest task will be persuading players out the door more than in, and if they cannot find a way to do so, it will be a disappointing walk up the hill to the Estadi Lluis Companys in September.
