Barcelona defensive duo Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto will reportedly not be offered contract extensions by the Spanish champions when their deals run out next year.
At 31 and 32 years of age respectively, Alonso and Roberto represent two of Barca's most experienced defenders, but the pair have been nothing more than peripheral figures in the 2023-24 season.
Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde have nailed down the full-back positions for Barcelona this season, while Inigo Martinez, Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo are also capable of filling in out wide.
As things stand, Roberto and Alonso are both out of contract at the end of the season and will be allowed to enter pre-contract talks with foreign clubs in January, although Barca can trigger one-year options until 2025.
Given their advancing years and position in the pecking order, it would have been difficult to envisage Barcelona sanctioning extensions for the duo, and Sport claims that the club do not plan to keep them around.
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However, Barcelona will not make any final decisions until after the January transfer window, and Alonso could potentially still have a key role to play for the Spanish champions between now and the end of the season.
The former Chelsea man joined the Blaugrana on a free transfer last year and turned out 37 times for Xavi's team across all competitions last season, scoring three goals along the way and collecting a La Liga winners' medal.
The exit of the long-serving Jordi Alba has coincided with the emergence of Balde, though, and Alonso has only played six times this term, starting two La Liga matches and one Champions League contest.
With Barcelona being careful to manage Balde's workload as the season progresses, Alonso could enjoy more starts in the coming months, and a short-term extension has not been ruled out.
The left-back penned his recent renewal with a 12-month option back in January, but the report adds that he would have to accept a substantial salary decrease if he is to continue at Camp Nou, and he is not expected to be short of escape routes.
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Meanwhile, Barcelona also gave the green light to a new contract for the long-serving Roberto in March, only a few months before he replaced Sergio Busquets as the Blaugrana's captain.
As is the case with Alonso, though, Roberto has made just two La Liga starts and six appearances overall this term, scoring once in a 2-2 top-flight draw with Granada last month.
The versatile Spaniard - who has played as a right-back and central midfielder for Barcelona this term - has been sidelined with a muscle injury since that stalemate on October 8, and it is unclear when he might return to action.
Roberto happily accepted a renewal on decreased wages after Xavi pushed for a deal, but all parties are supposedly in agreement that his time at Camp Nou is now coming to its natural end.
The defender joined Barca's La Masia academy in 2006 and has since registered 17 goals and 40 assists in 355 appearances for the club, winning 22 major honours in the process.
Ben Knapton
