Junior Firpo for sale: Barca could include him in Lautaro deal

Barcelona know this transfer market will be a war. Difficult decisions lie ahead. They are analysing their current squad to put players on the market who will not likely be needed.

The most delicate case is Junior Firpo, who arrived last summer but has not found a place in the team. Junior is young and various clubs have asked after him, including in Italy, but Barca won’t just give him away.

They took a long time to sign a left-back last summer to give Jordi Alba competition and he arrived for 18m euros. It was a bet on youth, after they also negotiated over David Alaba and Phillip Max.

Barcelona made a special plan for Junior to get used to the club’s tactics and movements. They liked his physical attributes and his professionalism and willingness, but he never got comfortable at the club. Valverde even preferred to use Nelson Semedo there at times over Junior.

Barcelona think he will continue to improve but it is hard for him to stay. They need solutions in the market to be able to sign players they need to boost a squad of just 18 possible starting players.

Roma, Napoli and Torino have already been interested in Junior before because of his situation at Barca. However the Catalans don’t want to sell for less than 20m euros so they don’t take any losses. They don’t want to loan him either.

Another way might be as part of a player exchange for Lautaro Martinez. Inter like the player too and right be willing to put him in as part of a trade.