Barcelona squad reshaping: six players facing exit

The World Cup stragglers are back, the training pitches at the Ciutat Esportiva are full again, and FC Barcelona’s pre-season is entering the phase where sentiment gives way to decisions. With the serious injury to Roony Bardghji still echoing around the club on Monday, the tone has hardened. The margin for risk has vanished.

Hansi Flick and his staff have adjusted the training plan. Not just to protect players physically, but to quietly draw a line between those who will matter this season and those who are about to be moved on.

Six players, who until recently worked daily under Flick, have been pulled from the main group and told to follow individual programmes. No great drama on the surface. In reality, it is the clearest signal yet that their futures lie away from the first team.

Torrents: Ajax move imminent

The most advanced case is Jofre Torrents. The left-back has one foot in Amsterdam already. His transfer to Ajax has been agreed for days, the framework of the deal in place, only for administrative details to hold up the official announcement.

Barcelona have now taken no chances. With the deal so close, they see no sense in exposing him to any unnecessary risk in training. His separation from the group is less a demotion than a practical step before he swaps the Blaugrana shirt for Ajax’s white and red.

Casado weighs his options

Marc Casado’s situation is more complex. The midfielder has been on the departure radar for some time, but unlike Torrents, he is still in full reflection mode.

Offers from Saudi Arabia are on the table, backed up by interest from several European clubs. The money in the Gulf is significant, the footballing project in Europe more traditional. Casado is taking his time, studying proposals rather than jumping at the first contract placed in front of him.

Barcelona’s message is clear: a decision must come soon. His individual training is the prelude to a move that everyone at the club expects to materialise before the window closes.

Fort draws Premier League attention

Hector Fort finds himself in a similar position, but with a different market circling. The right-back knows opportunities will be limited at the Spotify Camp Nou this season. The club knows it too.

Premier League clubs have moved into the picture, with Fulham among those showing concrete interest in a permanent transfer. For a defender with his profile, England offers a demanding stage and a clear step up in exposure.

By removing him from the main group, Barcelona are effectively protecting an asset they intend to cash in on, while Fort and his representatives study which project gives him the best pathway and minutes.

Tommy between sale and loan

Tommy Marques has known his fate since last week. The midfielder has been told he must find a new destination before the end of the window. No euphemisms, no grey area.

Barcelona’s preference is straightforward: a permanent sale. The club want to turn potential into income, not just another temporary solution. Still, they have left the door open to a loan if the offers on the table fail to meet their valuation.

SC Braga have already stepped forward and are waiting for an answer. For Tommy, the choice is sharp: commit to a move now, or risk drifting into a season on the fringes.

Two La Masia gems at the crossroads

The list is completed by two of La Masia’s brightest prospects: Guille Fernandez and Toni Fernandez. Their surnames match, their situations almost mirror each other.

Both have finished the first phase of pre-season in the first-team dynamic. Both have shown enough to attract a wide range of suitors. And both are now training away from the main group as the club prepares for the next step.

Barcelona are open to permanent exits or loans. In the case of a loan, the plan is clear: renew their contracts first, then send them out to grow with their long-term rights protected. It is the modern La Masia balancing act — immediate opportunity elsewhere, but with a thread still tying them back to Catalonia.

For Guille and Toni, this is no longer about potential interest or vague promises. The market is real, the offers are there, and the club expects decisions in the coming days. Pre-season has given them a taste of the top. Now they must choose which badge they will wear to chase it.