Barcelona 'to offload five players in January'

Barcelona are reportedly prepared to ship out a quintet of players during the January transfer window as they aim to raise funds for future business.

Like many clubs across the globe, the Catalan giants have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and are facing losses of up to £88m in the wake of the ongoing outbreak.

Barcelona are believed to be embroiled in an internal battle with players and staff over wage cuts, and the La Liga powerhouses are now supposedly looking to sell a number of players in a further attempt to decrease their wage bill.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Ousmane Dembele, Martin Braithwaite, Carles Alena, Junior Firpo and Samuel Umtiti could all be heading for the Camp Nou exit door in a couple of months' time.

Manchester United were linked with a swoop for Dembele during the summer but the Frenchman ultimately remained in Catalonia, although a recent report has suggested that the Red Devils still harbour an interest in the former Borussia Dortmund man.

Barcelona have suffered an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 La Liga season with two wins, two draws and two losses from their opening six matches.