FC Barcelona has taken a turn in the middle of Christmas.
In an emergency meeting held last night at the club’s facilities, president Joan Laporta, coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco made a drastic decision: five first-team players will leave the team during the January 2026 transfer market.
The news, initially leaked by internal sources and confirmed by several specialized media, has generated commotion in the culé environment, since several of the names involved are footballers with significant weight in the recent history of the club.
The main objective of the event, which lasted until the early hours of the morning, was to align the squad with the aggressive, intense and vertical playing philosophy that Hansi Flick has implemented since his arrival.
Although the team leads LaLiga with authority and has shown a very high level in the first half of the season, the German coach and the Portuguese sports director consider that there are elements that slow down the definitive evolution of the project and that, in some cases, generate a salary and sporting imbalance that is difficult to sustain.
The five footballers highlighted
Although the club has not issued an official statement (and probably will not do so until some operation is very advanced), the sources consulted agree that the five names that are most strongly being considered to leave in this month of January are the following:
Marc-André ter Stegen The club’s historic captain and goalkeeper has completely lost the trust of Hansi Flick. After his serious lumbar injury and the excellent adaptation of Wojciech SzczΔsny as the undisputed starter, the German has become the third goalkeeper on the squad.
At 33 years old, Ter Stegen needs minutes to ensure his presence in the German team at the 2026 World Cup.
The club would be willing to facilitate an exit (assignment with purchase option or direct transfer) if a serious offer arrives from the MLS, Saudi Arabia or a top-level European club.
Andreas Christensen The Danish centre-back, whose contract ends in June 2026, has seen how his role has been drastically reduced with the return of Ronald Araujo and the excellent level of Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez (before his injury).
Although Laporta assesses a possible downward renewal, Flick considers that his profile is no longer a priority in the defensive axis.
There is interest from several Premier League and Bundesliga clubs; A sale in January would allow an amount close to 12-15 million euros to be earned.
Eric García The youth player has experienced a notable improvement under Flick’s orders, but his versatility (he has played as a center back, pivot and winger) has not guaranteed him a starting position.
With a contract until 2031 after his recent renewal, the club could opt for a loan to accumulate minutes and market value. LaLiga teams such as Valencia and Villarreal, as well as some from Serie A, have shown interest.
Ansu Fati The great promise of Spanish football still has not recovered his best version after multiple injuries. Despite its renewal until 2028 and its loan to Monaco in the first half of 2025, the return has not been as expected.
Flick appreciates his talent, but prioritizes consistency and daily intensity. A new loan (this time with greater prominence) or even a definitive transfer are the ways that are being used to free up the salary mass and give him a new opportunity away from the Camp Nou.
Roony Bardghji The young Danish winger, signed in the summer of 2025 as a great bet for the future, has not convinced the German coach in the minutes he has had.
At only 20 years old, his adaptation has been slower than expected and the club is already studying a loan so that he can gain experience in a medium-high level team.
This exit would be the least traumatic of the five, but also the one with the most potential for revaluation in the medium term. The reason for the decision: total alignment with the Flick project
Hansi Flick has been very clear from day one: he wants a seamless dressing room, with players 100% committed to his idea of ββhigh-pressure football, quick transitions and verticality.
Although the team has performed at a very high level in the first half of the season, the German and Deco detect that there are profiles that generate internal noise, either due to lack of minutes, or due to a disproportionate salary in relation to their current contribution, or due to the need to oxygenate the squad to bring in young people like Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí, Casadó or Fermín López.
Furthermore, the economic situation forces us to be pragmatic: the January departures would helpalleviate the wage bill(key to register possible reinforcements in summer) and to generate liquidity to face the second half of the season and prepare the great 2026-2027 project.
Reactions and next steps
The decision has surprised even within the dressing room itself, where players like Ter Stegen and Christensen still feel like an important part of the club. However, the line marked by Laporta is firm:“The project comes first”.
In the next 48-72 hours, the first concrete movements are expected: contacts with agents, incoming offers and possible bilateral meetings.
The 2026 winter market is presented as one of the busiest in the recent history of FC Barcelona, ββwith five confirmed departures in the management team and, possibly, some specific reinforcement if sufficient funds are released.
The message is clear: Flick’s Barça is not going to wait. Anyone who does not fit into the high-speed train that the Blaugrana team intends to be in the coming years will have to get off at the next station: January 2026.
The silent revolution has already begun. And the Camp Nou hopes to see how this story ends.
