Barcelona's Transfer Strategy: Six Players Withdrawn from Training
The World Cup contingent is back, the pre-season friendlies are winding down, and FC Barcelona’s squad is finally starting to look like the one Hansi Flick will carry into the new campaign. That also means the decisions can no longer be delayed. Contracts, exits, last-minute deals – this is the sharp end of the window.
And Barça have just made a very clear move.
Six players taken out of Flick’s core group
After the serious injury suffered by Roony Bardghji on Monday, the coaching staff have redrawn the training map. The message is simple: no more unnecessary risks with players whose futures lie elsewhere.
According to Carlos Monfort of SPORT, six players who had been working daily under Flick have been taken out of the main group and placed on individual physical programmes: Jofre Torrents, Marc Casado, Hector Fort, Tommy Marques, Toni Fernandez and Guille Fernandez.
For all six, this is not about form. It is about the market.
Jofre Torrents: Ajax move on the runway
The clearest case is Jofre Torrents. The left-back is, in practice, already an Ajax player. The agreement has been in place for days and only administrative details have held up the official announcement.
With the deal so close, Barça have no intention of risking even a minor setback in training. Torrents is being wrapped in cotton wool until the paperwork catches up with reality.
Marc Casado weighs his options
Marc Casado’s situation has been simmering for much longer. The midfielder has interest from Saudi Arabia and several European clubs and remains in that uncomfortable but powerful position: he has to choose.
For now, he trains apart and reflects. Barça know he is likely to leave. Casado knows it too. The next step depends on which proposal convinces him most – sporting project, salary, visibility. The clock is ticking, but he is not rushing.
Hector Fort: Premier League door opens
Hector Fort is in a similar boat, but with a distinctly English flavour. The right-back has accepted that his immediate future lies away from the Spotify Camp Nou, and his list of admirers keeps growing.
Premier League clubs have moved, with Fulham among those interested in a permanent transfer. For a young full-back, that is a very different type of challenge: new league, new rhythm, new demands. For Barça, it is also a chance to bank a fee and tidy up the squad.
Again, the decision phase has begun. Hence the precaution in training.
Tommy Marques: sale preferred, loan possible
Tommy Marques has known since last week that he must find a new destination before the window closes. No surprises there, only the form of the exit is still up for debate.
Barcelona’s preference is clear: a permanent sale. If the offers on the table fail to meet their expectations, a loan remains an option. SC Braga have already made their interest known and are waiting for an answer.
For Tommy, the individual programme is a reminder: he is close enough to the first team to train with them, but far enough from Flick’s plans that his future will be decided elsewhere.
Toni and Guille Fernandez: La Masia talents at a crossroads
The group of six is completed by two of La Masia’s most intriguing prospects, Toni Fernandez and Guille Fernandez. Both have just come through the first phase of pre-season with the first team. Both have attracted a broad range of suitors.
Clubs are pushing for permanent deals, others for loans. Barcelona, as so often with academy jewels, are playing it carefully. If they leave on loan, the club are expected to renew their contracts first to protect their long-term rights.
For Toni and Guille, the next days will be decisive. They now have to choose from the many offers in front of them: minutes, leagues, pathways, promises. The training pitch has already told them one thing – their immediate future will not be written inside Flick’s core group.
Barcelona’s squad is taking shape. The exits are lining up. The only question left is how boldly the club are willing to cash in on youth to build the team Flick truly wants.
