Barcelona regard veteran superstar duo as ‘untouchables’ – report

Barcelona’s transfer planning has come under scrutiny of late as they get set to bid goodbye to one of their best players from last season in Ilkay Gundogan.

The 33-year-old veteran is set to be sacrificed by the club in order to free up some much-needed salary space to register new signing Dani Olmo and any other player who may come before the window closes.

The decision to let Gundogan leave, that too possibly for free, has caused some unrest within some sections of the club’s fanbase with fingers being pointed at other players like Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Robert Lewandowski, who are also on high wages.

Barcelona consider Ter Stegen and Lewandowski ‘untouchable’

However, according to journalist Victor Navarro, Barcelona consider both Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Robert Lewandowski as ‘untouchables’ in the squad.

As such, the question of parting ways with either the goalkeeper or the first-choice striker never existed.

Ter Stegen is now the first captain at Barcelona following Sergi Roberto’s departure. However, the German has come under some criticism for his performances, most recently in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against AS Monaco.

As for Lewandowski, despite him scoring a brace against Valencia this past weekend, there have been concerns about his all-round game and suitability to Hansi Flick’s system.

Furthermore, the striker will turn 36 years old in a day and as per reports, there were some teammates who had expressed concerns about his pressing-ability even in the last season.

Despite everything, though, Barcelona regard both Ter Stegen and Lewandowski as untouchables.

The idea of the club was to sell Ronald Araujo this summer but his injury put an end to that. With the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha also refusing to leave and Lewandowski and Ter Stegen being non-transferable, it is Gundogan who is now having to depart.