Barcelona pushing to offload defensive trio?

The Catalan giants have just enjoyed a successful campaign, defying early exits in the Champions League and Europa League to dominate La Liga.

Despite their well-documented financial issues, those behind the scenes at Camp Nou hope that their side have now turned a corner on the pitch under Xavi.

Nevertheless, before they are able to sign players this summer, they must part ways with a wide range of players, preferably for transfer fees given the size of the deficit that they must make up to fulfil La Liga regulations.

Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are already departing on free transfers, reaching a natural conclusion to their legendary Barcelona stints but freeing up much-needed space on the wage bill at a crucial period.

However, it has been made clear that significantly more exits must transpire before Barcelona are able to wrap up their incomings for the summer transfer window.

According to reports in Spain, Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet and Sergino Dest are next on Barcelona's agenda as they bid to facilitate moves.

A knee injury has substantially impacted on Umtiti's career at Barcelona, yet the 2018 World Cup winner has taken strides to rebuild his career during 2022-23.

The former France international made 25 appearances on loan at Lecce, his temporary club only finishing in 16th place in Serie A but possessing the ninth-best defensive record.

Despite recent praise from then-interim boss Ryan Mason, Lenglet had less of an impact on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, being handed a similar amount of game time in the Premier League but contributing to Spurs conceding 63 times in 38 games.

Meanwhile, Dest was barely used during his stay at AC Milan, making just four starts and nine substitute outings, with his four starts for the United States during the 2022 World Cup the highlight of his season.

With regards to transfer fees, the report suggests that Barcelona may accept in the region of €10m (£8.6m) for Lenglet, and a similar fee as a bare minimum will be expected for the younger Dest.

Realistically, Barcelona may consider less for Umtiti due to the size of his wages and still having three years left on his contract, with former club Lyon allegedly monitoring the situation.