This Barcelona’s summer can be called the Great Purge
Spanish grand is expected to sell lots of players. Some of the names are not going to be on the market for a long time.
Coutinho, who was bought only one year ago, is not in Ernesto Valverde’s plans. Brazilian star struggled this season while Barca has already found a substitution for him – Frankie De Jong. Product of Ajax academy has already signed with Barcelona for $75 million transfer fee. Bookies are giving 5.00 odds that Coutinho will come back to the EPL, but, surprisingly, not to Anfield. Instead, he will join Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea, as bookies say. Napoli, who are second in the race, according to bookies, have 8.00 odds.
Another star player, Ivan Racitic, also is set to leave Valverde’s team. Odds are pretty interesting, as Inter Milan are favourites with 2.00 while Tottenham and Liverpool are most unlikely to get Croatian star with 51.00 odds. PSG are the closest rivals to Inter in a race for Racitic with 7.00 odds. Other teams mentioned are Chelsea, Juventus, Man City and Man United. All of them are having 34.00 odds.
The last but not least big name in Barca’s ‘days numbered’ list is Samuel Umtiti. After his injury he has lost his place in the starting lineup to Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet and, what’s even worse for the French defender, Barca are making moves to buy another Ajax player – Matthijs De Ligt. There is simply no room for Umtiti and his ambitions, that’s why the best way for Barca and Samuel himself is letting him go. Man City are favourites to get him, as their odds are 1.65. Man United are also linked to Umtiti.
Other players who may be on the move this summer are: Jasper Cillessen, Malcolm and Rafinha. Last summer Barca sold 6 players and got $121 million out of that deals.