Gundogan looks set to return to Manchester City a year after leaving the defending champions to start a new chapter in Spain. Barcelona could be forced to cut his salary short, meaning they will lose one of last season’s best players. Roque is reportedly close to joining Real Betis on loan despite demands from Sporting CP.

Barcelona were forced to pay €30 million ($33 million) for the Brazilian youngster last summer. Despite spending a lot of money to sign him, he has never been able to get regular playing time since entering the winter transfer market. When they get down to business, we will have confirmed that the club’s efforts to strengthen the squad over the summer were merely a bandage. The leaders are Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. Oriol Romeu joined Girona for €4 million; Gündoğan and former Athletic Bilbao defender Anigo Martinez joined as free agents, while Joe Felix and Joe Cancelo joined on loan from Atletico Madrid and Manchester City. But a year later, Martinez seems to be the only one left in a team that failed to win the title last season and lost manager Xavi Hernandez.

Xavi Hernandez has been criticised for the club’s lack of money and was sacked, saying it would be difficult to compete with Madrid’s other elite teams in Europe. Barcelona have signed midfielder Dani Olmo from Spain’s RB Leipzig but are yet to find the financial means to transfer him to the Spanish league. Lesdu Flick is out as he recovers from a leg problem. In the first match of the Spanish League against Valencia, Robert Lewandowski scored twice to lead his team to a 2-1 victory, with midfielders Gerard Martin and Mark Bernal making their debuts. In total, Flick started three 17-year-old players in his first 11 in Bernal, Paulo Kubasa and Lamine Yamar. "We can win games with these guys," Lewandowski said after the win.