Report: Barcelona's chief transfer negotiators to leave roles at club

Two prominent transfer negotiators at Barcelona, Albert Soler and Raul Sanllehi, will leave their respective roles with the club amid supporter unrest with business at the Camp Nou, sources told ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden.

Sanllehi, who was a key figure in the South American market and was pivotal in bringing Neymar to Barcelona, has reached a mutual agreement with the club to leave on Dec. 1. Diario Sport understands Arsenal and Manchester City are interested in recruiting Sanllehi, with the latter already employing former Barcelona directors Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano.

It's understood Soler will still be under Barcelona's wing, but will see his current title of director of professional sports diluted as his focus instead hones in on the basketball and handball teams under the organisation's umbrella. He insists this change is due to personal reasons, according to Marsden.

Embattled president Josep Maria Bartomeu is overseeing a restructure of the famed Spanish outfit. It is partly prompted by vice-president Carles Vilarrubi and director Jordi Mones resigning in protest at Barcelona staging its league match against Las Palmas behind closed doors following violent scenes at Catalonia's "illegal" referendum on independence. Another aspect that encouraged Bartomeu to stage a backroom reshuffle was several calls for his head from fans disenfranchised by the club's direction under his watch.

The restructured boardroom is set to be unveiled at the club's General Assembly on Oct. 21. Pep Segura has already been hired as the new general manager, and will undertake several tasks previously handled by Soler and Sanllehi.