For Barcelona, although they had a strong start to the season, they have been in an inconsistent state since the middle of the season. This has caused their previous advantage in the La Liga standings to disappear, and their role has changed from "leaders" to "chasers." Currently, Laporta faces a heavy task in this transfer window, not only needing to continue solving registration issues for players like Olmo but also attempting to strengthen the squad by addressing its weaknesses to help the team quickly return to form.
In the eyes of outsiders, Barcelona's difficulties in player registration are directly related to the presence of too many "junk contracts" within the team. Many players no longer possess the level required to play for Barcelona, or there is a severe mismatch between their abilities and salary levels. However, Barcelona has failed to shed these "burdens," leading to the team's operations being in a difficult situation.
Currently, it seems that Laporta has decided to take real action during this transfer period, truly expelling players who are not part of the team's plans.
Firstly, there is Eric Garcia. Objectively speaking, Eric Garcia is not completely useless; at least during his loan spell last season, he performed well. However, after returning to Barcelona, Eric Garcia fell into a slump again, with a significant decline in various statistics, including a drop in average tackles from 1.9 to 1.1 times, and a more than 50% decrease in interceptions and clearances. With Christensen already recovered from injury, Eric Garcia has been listed for sale. According to Spanish media, Girona will offer Barcelona around 10 million euros to sign Eric Garcia, and the latter is inclined to leave during the winter window.
Secondly, there is Ansu Fati. This once highly-valued attacking talent, whose market value was as high as 80 million euros, has never been able to regain his best form after suffering a serious injury, and his market value has dropped to 10 million euros. Considering Ansu Fati's high salary and the fact that his contract still has two and a half years left, Laporta is eager to sell him as quickly as possible. However, Laporta has not received ideal feedback so far, and Ansu Fati has explicitly stated his refusal to leave. He will stay at least until the end of the season and then see if there are any suitable opportunities in the transfer market.
Compared to Eric Garcia and Ansu Fati, Araujo's status within the team is undoubtedly much more important. Before getting injured, Araujo was not only a core player in the team's defense but also one of the top five central defenders in European football in terms of market value. However, with only a little over a season left on his contract and the slow progress in renewal negotiations with Barcelona, coupled with the rapid growth of Kuba Si, Araujo is no longer an "essential" player for the team. According to "La Gazzetta dello Sport," the split between Araujo and Barcelona seems to be a foregone conclusion. This 80-million-euro "pillar" has officially declared his decision to leave the team. Currently, Juventus is likely to become Araujo's next destination, and they hope to complete the transfer through a loan with a mandatory buyout clause.
In the forward line, Lewandowski's recent form has declined, failing to score in three out of four consecutive games. Considering his age of 36, Barcelona hopes to sign a new player to ensure depth in the center-forward position. According to transfer expert Toni Juanmarti, Deco has communicated with John Duran's agent to initiate the transfer operation of this 21-year-old center-forward. This season, John Duran has scored 12 goals and has a market value of 40 million euros. Barcelona hopes to facilitate the joining of this Premier League striker during the winter window.