Barcelona Tightens Transfer Grip: Six Players Pulled from Training

The World Cup trickle-back is almost complete, the dressing room is filling up again, and FC Barcelona’s squad is starting to look like the one that will carry Hansi Flick into the season. That also means the easy part is over.

Now come the cuts.

Shaken by Roony Bardghji’s serious injury on Monday, the club has moved quickly to limit any more unwanted surprises in the final stretch of the transfer window. The coaching staff has redrawn the training plan, and several players with uncertain futures have been removed from the daily grind with the main group.

According to Carlos Monfort of SPORT, six players who had been working under Flick’s orders are now on individualized programs, away from the core of the first team: Jofre Torrents, Marc Casado, Hector Fort, Tommy Marques, Toni Fernandez and Guille Fernandez.

It is not a punishment. It is a signal. Their futures lie elsewhere.

Torrents on the brink of Ajax move

The most advanced case is Jofre Torrents. The left-back is, for all practical purposes, an Ajax player already. The deal has been in place for days, the agreement closed, the path clear. Only administrative details have held up the official announcement.

Barcelona know the outcome. So does the player. Keeping him in full-contact sessions at this stage would be needless risk.

Casado weighs a lucrative crossroads

Marc Casado’s situation is less defined but just as delicate. His departure has been expected for some time, and the offers have piled up.

Saudi Arabia has put serious money on the table, while several European clubs have also made their pitch. The midfielder is still in a holding pattern, sifting through proposals, trying to decide which project — and which league — will shape the next phase of his career.

Until that call is made, Barça prefer to protect an asset rather than expose him to injury in routine training.

Fort draws Premier League attention

On the opposite flank, Hector Fort faces a similar reality. The right-back understands he needs to leave the Spotify Camp Nou to play regularly, and interest is not in short supply.

Premier League clubs have been tracking him, with Fulham among those exploring a permanent transfer. For a defender raised at La Masia, the lure of English football and a defined first-team role is strong, and Barcelona know they are likely to cash in rather than keep him on the fringes.

Again, the message is clear: he will not be part of Flick’s core group this season.

Tommy between sale and loan

Tommy Marques has also been folded into the separate training group. The midfielder was informed last week that he must find a new destination before the window closes.

Barcelona’s preference is to sell. A permanent transfer would bring in immediate funds and free up space in a crowded midfield structure. But the club is not closing the door on a loan if bids fall short of their valuation.

SC Braga have stepped forward and are waiting for an answer. The Portuguese side see an opportunity; Barça are deciding how hard to push for a sale.

Two La Masia gems at a crossroads

Toni Fernandez and Guille Fernandez complete the list of six. Two of La Masia’s most gifted young talents, both have impressed enough to attract a wide range of suitors.

Clubs are circling with offers for both permanent deals and loans. Barcelona, conscious of their potential, are prepared to extend their contracts before sanctioning any loan exits, protecting their long-term stake while allowing them to grow elsewhere.

They have finished the first phase of pre-season with the first team. Now comes the real decision: where to take the next step.

As the window ticks towards its close, Barcelona’s strategy is unmistakable. The core is being locked in, the periphery trimmed, and promising youngsters nudged towards careers that may, one day, loop back to the Camp Nou — or prove that this was the moment their paths truly diverged.