Fab, Alexis and Alves set for summer exit

Cesc Fabregas, Alexis and Alves are among the 14 players that Barça are ready to get shot of this summer.After a very disappointing season under Tata Martino in which Barcelona let escape La copa del Rey, La Liga and the Champions League, Barcelona are gearing up for a complete overhaul with new manager Luis Enrique at the helm.

Many fans have been disappointed with the players this season and Saturday’s clash with Atlético Madrid which ended in a 1-1 draw was no exception. There was footage of fans shouting at the likes of Messi “¿Cuánto cobras? or “How much do you earn?”

And it’s not the first time that fans have shown their dissatisfaction with Leo Messi either. Some weeks back, the Argentine was hounded by fans at the airport who were shouting things like “let’s see if you run a bit more” and “how much are they paying you”. Messi responded by suggesting they “get back to work” – maybe a snide comment given Spain’s economic climate where thousands and thousands of youths are unemployed.

This was just one example of fans venting their frustration on the players they look up to. In my opinion you can only blame the manager to a certain point. If the players haven’t got it in them to follow rules and a manager’s advice, then all is lost. Barcelona has had a terrible season off the pitch too. With the NeymarGate scandal to Messi’s tax avoidance right up till the death of Tito Vilanova, Barcelona has been put through the wringer.

Luis Enrique has to instill confidence in his squad and get them playing how they only know. he’s got to combine tiki taka with other methods to win games and win over the fans once again.

I’m sure many fans wouldn’t have thought much of this team had they miraculously beat Atlético Madrid on Saturday. It would have been a bitter sweet victory but wouldn’t have changed anything that happened or is going to happen this summer.

14 players heads are on the chopping block and Barcelona knows this may be the last time they are presented with such an opportunity to make bank on certain players like Alexis, Fabregàs and Dani Alves. With the Premier League completely besotted for Cesc Fabregàs and Juventus interested in Alexis, we could well see Fernando Llorente as part of a deal which would give Luis Enrique his desired number 9. I’m sure Llorente would be relishing the chance to return to Spain with a club like Barça.

The list of 14 players that are most likely to head out of the Camp Nou this summer are:

• José Manuel Pinto
• Víctor Valdés
• Martín Montoya
• Dani Alves
• Carles Puyol
• Marc Bartra
• Jordi Alba
• Alex Song
• Adriano Correia
• Sergi Roberto
• Cesc Fabregàs
• Pedro Rodríguez
• Alexis Sánchez
• Cristian Tello

Various players on the list are in the crosshairs of some of Europe’s top teams and president Bartomeu has promised that this summer there will be a “profound cleaning” of the squad as he bids to make Barça one of the top clubs in Europe again.