FC Barcelona are in a race against time to sell their unwanted stars

The whole world is looking at the Lionel Messi saga to see how it will play out. The Argentine superstar has made it clear he wants a new challenge this summer and doesn't see his future at Barça. It will be a departure that rocks the foundation of the club as he's created so much history during his 20+ years wearing Barça's colours.

However, Barça have a host of players they want to sell this summer and there's a rush to get them all sorted out before the 2020/21 season begins. 

KOEMAN IS IN CONTROL

Koeman, as soon as he took over, spoke to several players to let them know whether or not they had a place in his squad next season. He told Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti to all look for new clubs.

AGREED SOLUTIONS

Every case is different but three of those four are out of contract in 2021. Suarez, Rakitic and Vidal only have a year left on their deals so should, in theory, be easier to move on albeit for relatively low sums of money. Whilst their transfers away haven't been completed, they are expected to train as normal with FC Barcelona. At the moment, all four will start working under Koeman on Monday.

Suarez's contract has an optional year and that is the sticking point to finalising his exit. At the moment, no agreement is in place. Barça hope to sell Suarez for a minimal fee and to split the cost of his wages with the buying team. Ajax and Juventus have shown an interest in him, as have Leicester City and David Beckham's Inter Miami. Once Barça and Suarez reach an amicable solution, they will present their offers to the Uruguayan striker.

SEVILLA WANT RAKITIC

Ivan Rakitic has been linked with a move away for the past two summers but it appears now is the time for him to say goodbye. The Croatian has more than repaid what it cost Barça to sign him originally and won't demand much to let him go. However, they won't allow him to leave on a free transfer. Sevilla are the frontrunners for his signature but they don't want to pay a fee or cover his existing wages at Barça. 

This has frustrated Barça as they know Sevilla have the backing of the player. An alternative would appear to be Jose Mourinho's Tottenham but they aren't willing to pay much for a player who is entering the final year of his contract.

VIDAL COULD RETURN TO ITALY

Koeman doesn't have a place for Vidal in his new project and it's never felt like the Chilean ever truly settled in Barcelona. During every transfer window his name was linked with moves back to the Serie A and he aided those rumours by complaining about his lack of playing time. Juventus, Inter and Milan are the best placed sides to bring Vidal back to Italy.

Once again, as with Rakitic, Barça want to receive something for Vidal and won't release him on a free transfer.

UMTITI IS THE MOST WORRYING CASE

The French centre back has three years left on his contract but his high wages, coupled with his seemingly endless knee issues, has meant there are no takers for Umtiti at the moment. After deciding to risk his knee in order to play a World Cup, which he won, the consequences have been massive. He hasn't been fully fit since then and won't sign for a club which doesn't have ambitions to challenge for the league title in their respective country.