Double Barcelona exit: Midfield misfit, €8m+ bit-part ace linked with departures

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Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde enjoyed a successful start to life on the bench for the Catalan giants this past season, winning a domestic double in his first year in charge.

The Spanish tactician did so predominantly relying heavily on key figures in his squad, with reserve options not getting a great deal of playing time throughout the course of the campaign.

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In turn, if Barcelona do have ambitions of strengthening the squad this summer with top-class reinforcements, then perhaps one way to fund those moves would be to offload those considered expendable in the current group.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Lazio are interested in Andre Gomes as a potential replacement for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic if he departs the Stadio Olimpico this summer, with the Portuguese international failing to have the desired influence for Barcelona since his move from Valencia in 2016.

The 24-year-old made 31 appearances last season, most of which came off the bench. Having struggled to adapt and flourish in the heart of the Barcelona side, it would come as no real surprise if the club opted to recoup a fee for him and invest elsewhere instead.

In addition, Calciomercato claim that Carlo Ancelotti could be plotting a raid on Barcelona as he looks to stamp his mark on his Napoli squad this summer with Aleix Vidal linked with a move to Italy too.

It’s claimed that the 28-year-old could command a fee of between €8-10m, and having also been used sparingly last season, it could be another option for Barca to raise some money, lessen the wage bill and create space in the squad for new arrivals.

On one hand, it seems a sensible strategy to offload players who aren’t set to be key figures moving forward. To balance that though, Barcelona have to be careful not to sacrifice too much depth as it could end up leaving them short when trying to compete on various fronts next season.

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