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Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie 'could leave Barcelona for free'

Christensen, Kessie 'could leave Barcelona for free'
© Reuters
Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie could both leave Barcelona for free if they are not registered for the start of the La Liga season, according to a report.

Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie could reportedly both leave Barcelona for free if they are not registered in time for Saturday's La Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano.

The duo joined the Catalan giants on free transfers this summer, with Christensen arriving following the expiration of his deal at Chelsea, while Kessie made the move after leaving AC Milan.

Both players have been heavily involved in the team's pre-season preparations, but they have still not been registered by La Liga despite the fact that the new campaign starts on Friday.

Barcelona will kick off their 2022-23 season against Rayo on Saturday, but according to ESPN, none of their summer arrivals, Christensen, Kessie, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde, have been registered.

The report claims that as Christensen and Kessie arrived on free transfers, the pair would be able to leave Camp Nou for nothing before the window closes, and exits for the duo could occur if they are not registered for the team's season opener this weekend.

Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen pictured on July 7, 2022© Reuters

The contract renewals signed by Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele have also allegedly not yet been registered with the Spanish league due to Barcelona's ongoing financial problems.

Club president Joan Laporta is still believed to be confident that all seven players will be registered in time for the campaign opener with Rayo.

However, Barcelona have until the end of the month to register the signings, so they could still be added at a later date if the club are unable to fix the issue by the weekend.

The Catalan outfit are under pressure to make a big sale this summer due to their financial issues, with Frenkie de Jong still being strongly linked with an exit.

Manchester United have been linked with the Netherlands international for much of the last 10 weeks, but Chelsea are now thought to be in the driving seat for his signature.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in action in July 2022© Reuters

Barcelona are also working to move a number of unwanted players on before the end of the transfer window, including Samuel Umtiti, Memphis Depay and Martin Braithwaite.

Xavi's side started their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign with a 1-1 draw against Olot on July 13, and they have played a further five games since then, four of which came on their pre-season tour of the United States.

Barcelona rounded off their pre-season with a 6-0 victory over Pumas in the Joan Gamper Trophy match last weekend, and a busy opening month to the La Liga campaign will see them face Rayo, Real Sociedad, Real Valladolid and Sevilla.

Despite their current issues with registering players, the club are still said to be working on new additions, with Manchester City's Bernardo Silva believed to be a leading transfer target in the final stages of the window.

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