Barcelona's exit operation: Lenglet, Eric Garcia, Ansu Fati, Abde and Alonso

Just when it seemed that Clément Lenglet would be one of the few members of the FC Barcelona squad to make a move in the final week of the transfer window, rumours of more possible departures have been swirling around the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

The names of Abde, Ansu Fati, Eric Garcia and Marcos Alonso, all of whom have played very few minutes in the first three rounds of La Liga, have entered the scene and have put at risk the squad's depth, which last season was key to the club's title triumph.

With the exception of Abde, who played on loan at Osasuna and performed at an extraordinary level, the other three players had their moment in the limelight at some point last season. Eric was needed before the World Cup, when Koundé, Araujo and Christensen were injured, and played as a pivot in the last matches of the championship; Ansu finished the season as the second top scorer of the team (he scored the same number of goals as Raphinha, 10, but played 1,000 minutes fewer); and Marcos Alonso played as a full-back and centre-back in several important matches, such as the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals at the Santiago Bernabéu.

At the moment, it seems unlikely that all of them will end up leaving. Mainly because while Xavi Hernández cannot guarantee minutes for some of them, he needs them to have a strong second unit, capable of performing from the bench. We analyse the situation of each of the players involved in the operation with 48 hours to go until the transfer window closes.

Clément Lenglet

This is probably the clearest case. Xavi does not count on the French centre-back and the player agrees to leave. Although all parties wished to separate their paths by means of a transfer, time is pressing and the possibility of him going on loan has gained ground over the last few days. According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa seem to be the best positioned in the race for his services, but Sevilla and Betis are also keeping an eye on his situation. It can't be ruled out 

Eric Garcia

One of the surprises of the last days of the window. The defender, as advanced by 'Cadena SER', has told Xavi of his desire to leave on loan, with Míchel's Girona as the team that most fit in with his plans. The coach, however, is reluctant to let him leave. After the win against Villarreal, the Barcelona boss publicly stated that Garcia will be important throughout the season.

Ansu Fati

Another 'bombshell' that has just exploded. Until the last few hours, the heir to Leo Messi's '10' had made it clear that he only thought about succeeding at Barça. In the three league games played, however, he has seen that he has Lewandowski, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Abde ahead of him and that, if the team continues to play with two strikers, the starting line-up will be difficult to breach. With Joao Felix's name flying around Barcelona, the academy player has opened the door to looking for minutes and opportunities at another club. Chelsea and Tottenham, according to 'Cadena COPE', are interested in him.

Abde

After the departure of Dembélé, Xavi has opted for the Moroccan as a skillful one-on-one profile and 'exploiter' of space in the squad. Throughout the summer, Xavi has been in charge of transmitting his confidence in the attacker, but his diminishing role in the first three rounds of the domestic competition has instilled doubts in the young player's camp. Abde is pushing for a loan to another LaLiga side, or even a permanent deal. Sevilla, Betis and Osasuna are keeping an eye on him.

Marcos Alonso

The departure of Jordi Alba gave him the opportunity to fill the role of Alejandro Balde's understudy, but the imminent signing of Joao Cancelo (who can play on both sides of the defence) and an offer from Manchester United could change everything at the last minute. The 'Red Devils', as we reported in SPORT a couple of days ago, have already formally requested his loan. He does not see it clearly.