Soccer / pjanic

With the La Liga season soon underway, Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman wants to trim down his squad before the season kicks off. But he's looking to offload some big names in the club's payroll. Koeman has the support of the bigwigs at the club, and they have given him the green light. According to the Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, two players Barcelona want to get rid of before the season begins in August are Miralem Pjanic and Samuel Umtiti. Both have seen their game time cut back to fewer appearances this season, particularly Umtiti. Umtiti, who came through the doors at Barcelona in 2016, stole the show during his first two campaigns at the club, riding on the back of many mind-blowing performances with his astute defending. But his glory was short-lived. The French centre-back suffered a brutal knee injury and would go on to sustain more knocks. The last three seasons saw the Frenchman feature 40 times for the La Liga giants but missed a whopping 63 games. As it stands, Umtiti's position at Barcelona's backline has come under threat following the arrival of fellow compatriot Clement Lenglet. For Bosnian Miralem Pjanic, he has been swept to the side by the famous old guard and deep-lying playmaker Sergio Bosquets and has seen his game time further cut back following the arrival of Pedri from Las Palmas. Reports peddling about say Chelsea are interested in Pjanic. Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus are said to have also joined the race for Pjanic's signature. But so far, Barcelona has yet to receive any offers for the Bosnian. Pjanic and Umtiti earn heavy pay at Barcelona, and given the club's financial situation at the moment and the fact that both players have been inconsistent the past season, the bigwigs at Barca want them out of the club. There have been no offers yet for both of them, though. Umtiti's release clause is set at €500 million, which could scare away clubs eyeing his services. The Frenchman is also injury-prone, and that could reduce his market value. Whether Barca will sell both players for a reduced fee to suitors remains unknown. But some reports suggest Barca may try to convince the pair to take a reduced pay cut. If that fails, however, they could allow them to see out their contracts or loan them out. Pjanic, however, has been told he can leave the club. But one thing is clear, Barca is eager for a comeback after their worst La Liga finish (third position) in over a decade the last season. Newly elected president Joan Laporta is eager for the club's bounce back and feels clearing out the inconsistent players might do the trick.