Barça's priority: Sell the deadwood, but sell well

Barcelona are doing what is required of them when it comes to new signings. Lenglet and Arthur will arrive this week and the club has De Jong on standby, should they need to sign him this summer, and they're also keeping tabs on potential solutions should Cillessen leave.

That's their homework done a week before the preseason starts although their priority now has changed. Ernesto Valverde has put special emphasis on wanting a smaller squad to work with next season. He doesn't want to repeat the problems of last year and is asking for a special effort to be made in regard to selling the players he doesn't plan on using. The objective is to get rid of the deadwood in the squad as soon as possible to avoid any potential, drawn out transfer sagas. That's going to be complicated.

The footballers in question are looking for what benefits them most and leaving Barcelona is very, very difficult. They are earning lots of money while they accumulate important honours to add to their CV, even if they aren't playing much. In saying that, it appears as if the unwanted are ready to leave but only if it benefits them. And that, in the majority of cases, don't coincide with what's in the best interests of Barcelona.

Barça have to then decide whether they rush through bad deals to please their head coach or defend the club's economic interests and take a risk by dragging out potential deals throughout preseason. This is what the sporting department is currently debating and the likelihood is they will find some middle ground. Some of the least important players will leave this week but those with a higher market value must wait until an acceptable offer for all parties arrives. Barcelona need to sell before they can buy and, for now, they are doing well. We'll need to see how the summer ends but if they hold on until the end they'll bring in a lot more money.