Barcelona Tighten Transfer Grip as Six Players Excluded from First-Team Training
With the World Cup contingent finally filtering back and Hansi Flick’s squad edging towards its definitive shape, Barcelona have moved from experimentation to execution. The warm-up phase is over. Now it is about hard decisions.
The serious injury suffered by Roony Bardghji on Monday has sharpened minds at the Ciutat Esportiva. It was a jolt the club did not need at this stage of the window, and it has prompted an immediate change in how the coaching staff handle those whose futures lie away from the Spotify Camp Nou.
The message from the club is clear: no more unnecessary risks.
Six pulled from the main group
According to Carlos Monfort of SPORT, six players who had been working daily under Flick have been taken out of regular first-team drills and placed on individual programmes, away from the core group.
- Jofre Torrents
- Marc Casado
- Hector Fort
- Tommy Marques
- Toni Fernandez
- Guille Fernandez
Now form a separate block – physically close to the squad, but already halfway out the door in sporting terms.
Torrents is the clearest case. His move to Ajax has been agreed for days and is now only waiting on final administrative details before it becomes official. For the left-back, the separation from the group feels less like a demotion and more like a prelude to a new chapter.
Casado’s situation carries more intrigue. The midfielder has been on the exit ramp for some time, yet he has not pulled the trigger. Offers from Saudi Arabia are on the table, joined by interest from several European clubs. For now, he remains in that familiar transfer limbo: weighing salary, sporting project and career trajectory before choosing his path.
Fort finds himself in a similar position, but with a different market. The right-back knows he must leave to secure minutes, and his name has begun to circulate with increasing regularity in England. Several Premier League clubs have him on their list, with Fulham among those interested in a permanent deal. For a La Masia full-back, the Premier League is a demanding landing spot, but also a powerful shop window.
Tommy Marques has also been formally moved aside. The midfielder was informed last week that he will have to find a new destination before the window shuts. Barcelona’s preference is to sell, banking a fee and clearing space, but the club are open to a loan if the bids fall short of their valuation. SC Braga are already at the table, waiting for a response and ready to test Barça’s resolve.
Two La Masia pearls at a crossroads
The group of six is completed by Toni Fernandez and Guille Fernandez, two of La Masia’s most highly regarded young talents and, now, two more names heading for the exit door of the first-team dynamic.
Their cases are more delicate. Both have drawn interest from a broad range of clubs, and both permanent and loan deals are being studied. If they leave on loan, Barcelona plan to protect themselves: renewals are expected before any temporary moves are signed off, ensuring the club do not lose control of their futures just as they begin to bloom.
For Toni and Guille, the first phase of pre-season has served its purpose. They have trained with the elite, tasted the rhythm, understood the demands. Now comes the tougher part: choosing the right environment to grow, amid a flood of proposals.
Barcelona, for their part, are moving with unusual caution. With Bardghji sidelined and the market entering its decisive stretch, they are determined not to jeopardise potential sales or loans with ill-timed injuries on the training pitch.
The squad is taking shape. The margins are tightening. For these six, the next decision will define whether they circle back to the Camp Nou lights one day – or whether this summer quietly marks the end of their Barcelona story.
