Barcelona's summer transfer plans - potential signings & sales for 2023

Barcelona are pushing ahead with their plans for the 2023 summer transfer window, despite continued financial concerns and legal issues plaguing the club at present.

90min understands president Joan Laporta is confident affairs off the field will be handled and is preparing to sanction the club's hierarchy to push on with the deals they want to pull off in order to compete at Europe's top table again.

Xavi's Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League group stages and out of the Europa League by Manchester United, but are set to win La Liga barring a late season collapse - they lead Real Madrid by 12 points with 12 games remaining.

Who do Barcelona want to sign in the summer 2023 transfer window?

Head coach Xavi is intent on trying to recapture the Champions League and feels further enhancements to the playing squad are needed, 90min understands.

Deals are already being worked on for the summer. Barcelona have agreed terms with Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez, who is out of contract and set to move on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Barcelona have opted for Martinez ahead of Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte, but they are still hoping to complete a double raid on the English champions, with midfield duo Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan firmly in their sights.

They have already held talks with Gundogan - something they are entitled to do as he is out of contract at the end of June. City are open to Gundogan staying but are giving him time to decide his next move.

Silva is a player Xavi has made it clear he wants, and the player has not hidden his desire to join Barcelona. 90min understands City told him he could not leave last summer, and instead preferred to revisit the situation in 2023.

The Portuguese's desire to join Barca remains and City boss Pep Guardiola is steadfast on being ready to sell players who no longer want to stay - as has been evidenced in the sales of Arsenal duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Bernardo's departure is therefore likely to be sanctioned at this point.

Brazil starlet Vitor Roque is high on Barcelona's radar and talks have taken place with his club Athletico Paranaense, with hope a deal can be struck for the 18-year-old. An initial loan with obligation to buy - similar to the transfer that saw Kylian Mbappe move to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco - could be put in place given the restrictions on Barcelona at present.

Then, of course, there is Lionel Messi. 90min revealed earlier in March that the club legend is edging towards returning to Camp Nou. His father Jorge has held talks with Laporta, and they are set to continue as parties explore how they can make a deal happen.

However, to make room for these transfers to go through, Barca are ready to move on from a host of their big names.

Who do Barcelona want to sell in the summer 2023 transfer window?

The most likely exit at present is Ferran Torres. The Spain international, who arrived from Manchester City in January 2022, has fallen down the pecking order this season, starting just 10 league games by the end of March.

Arsenal showed a strong interest in January and Torres remains a player that Mikel Arteta likes, while there is also interest elsewhere in Spain and France. Any Torres sale, however, could come at a far lower price than the £50m spent to bring him back to Spain - making a significant loss on his transfer a real possibility.

Raphinha also arrived from England last year, joining from Leeds in the summer window, but again has failed to make a huge impact. The Brazilian has started just 15 games and has been heavily criticised in some areas of the Catalan press. He has been linked with a move back to the Premier League, with Chelsea, who originally rivalled Barca for his signature, still keen and Newcastle also long-term admirers.

Read more on Barcelona's legal issues & transfer targets...

Ansu Fati is not happy with his playing time at present, and his father has openly voiced those concerns recently. 90min has, however, been told that some within the club would rather Fati was retained because of his homegrown status.

Then there is Ousmane Dembele, who is out of contract in 2024. He has started nearly every game he has been available for, but injuries have limited him to just 14 starts. Barca are keen to tie him down to a new deal, but 90min understands the interest in him is high. Sources have confirmed Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle are all interested should he decide to move on.

Dembele took a wage cut to re-sign with the club due to their financial issues, but 90min understands he would want closer to his original salary to sign new terms - if not, Barca would consider selling rather than allowing him to leave for nothing next year.

Frenkie de Jong also remains a key target for Manchester United, despite his public admissions that he would like to stay at Camp Nou. But with interest in both Gundogan and Silva, they are likely to have to find room in midfield and, of their current stock, the Dutch star is one of the more sellable assets.

How Barcelona could line up in 2023/24

If Xavi gets his desired targets, Barcelona will have a fascinating look to them next season. If Sergio Busquets or even De Jong depart, current City pair Silva and Gundogan could partner young prodigy Pedri in midfield.

Up front we could see Messi alongside Robert Lewandowski, who's the leading scorer in La Liga so far this season, as well as Gavi to add some much-needed bite to the attack.

It would be a more familiar defensive unit, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen still going strong in goal and Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen all primed to improve together in the next few years. 19-year-old Alejandro Balde has taken his chances this season at left back and should be further entrusted in that position moving forward.

Potential Barcelona 2023/24 XI: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde; Silva, Gundogan, Pedri; Messi, Lewandowski, Gavi.

On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss Julian Nagelsmann's future and links to the vacant Tottenham head coach role, Barcelona's ambition to bring Lionel Messi 'home', Brighton teenager Evan Ferguson, Florian Wirtz, Kalvin Phillips and more!

If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!