Barça continues to reduce its squad and cut wage bills in order to be able to sign Dani Olmo and the players that Hansi Flick wants before the market closes on Friday 30 August. Vitor Roque is the next to leave of the club. He goes on loan to Betis for a season. And he also part Alex Valle to Celtic Glasgow. Then, on an active morning at the Barcelona club, as if there had been a massive return from vacation, the loan of Clement Lenglet to Athletic. The defender had been in Madrid since Saturday and went to watch Atlético-Girona on Sunday.
Vitor Roque, 19, will play for Betis this season, The club has announced that the 19-year-old Brazilian striker will assume the entire contract, with the option to extend the loan for a second season and reserve the right to buy it, which they can also recover if they wish. Joined Barça in the last winter transfer market, the 19-year-old Brazilian striker played in 16 matches and scored two goals in La Liga. This season he had changed his number (he loaned out the number 19 to Lamine Yamal) and only the number 17 in the pre-season, but in the end he was not registered in La Liga.
Alex Valle defends Jack Grealish in the second half of the Orlando friendly. / Valentí Enrich
Valle had been assigned number 29 and was used several times by Hansi Flick. Despite being left-handed, he was used on the right wing, The club already had Alejandro Balde and Gerard Martín on the left. Valle, 20, played on loan last season at Levante in the Second Division and took part in the American tour. Barça do not want to lose him at the end of this season, when his contract expired and suggested that he extend his contract for one more, until 2026.
Lenglet is leaving due to the abundance of centre-backs and the high cost of his contract, which received a substantial increase when Josep Maria Bartomeu, in the pandemic season, extended and increased his contract in exchange for a reduction at that time. The club’s financial problems since then have led to Lenglet being loaned out every season. First to Tottenham Hotspur (22-23), then to Aston Villa (23-24) and now (24-25) to Atlético. The French centre-back is the second oldest in the squad. He arrived in 2018 from Sevilla con a cost of 35.9 million. After four seasons, he began to go on loan.
Lenglet fights with Chukwueze during the Barça-Milan game in Baltimore. / Scott Taetsch / AFP
Twelve exits
With just two signings (Pau Víctor and Dani Olmo) in which they have invested 58 million (3+55 and variables), Barça have dedicated the market to promoting departures beyond the players who were ending their contracts and did not want to renew: Marcos Alonso, Sergi Roberto, João Félix and João Cancelo. Ilkay Gündogan was allowed to leave for free to Manchester City last week to save the fee, after transfer for free to Oriol Romeu at Girona for the same reason. The other losses have left money that does not cover the investment: Marc Guiu left for Chelsea for 6 million (the clause), Julian Araujo to Bournemouth for 10 million y Michael Faye to Rennes for 10.3. With Valle, Vitor Roque and Lenglet, there are 12 players who have left the club. There are still a few more to come.
