Barcelona Transfer News: Blaugrana Must Cash in on Disgruntled Martin Montoya

Barcelona full-back Martin Montoya has confirmed his intentions of leaving the club in January, and despite manager Luis Enrique's insistence the player still has a future at the Camp Nou, it's time for both parties to part ways.

As reported by Marca, Montoya's agent, Juan de Dios Carrasco, has informed the club his client is not interested in a loan deal and invited potential suitors to start contacting the club:

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His agent, Juan de Dios Carrasco, met with the club's Sporting Director, Andoni Zubizarreta, and made it very clear the defender wanted to leave as soon as possible out and wasn't interested in being put out on loan.

In a statement issued following their meeting, Carrasco explained that Barcelona had been informed of the only course of action open to Montoya and his strong desire to leave the club in the winter transfer window.

"From this point onwards, any interested clubs should contact Barcelona and negotiate a deal," he concluded.

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The 23-year-old defender has been begging Enrique for more playing time for weeks now, and it hasn't worked. According to WhoScored.com, he's played in just a single match all season.

Following his agent's statement, Enrique provided reporters with the same mantra he's been preaching throughout the ordeal—the player is still a part of my plans, as reported by El Mundo Deportivo (h/t Barcastuff):

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Luis Enrique: "Montoya? Statements of agents don't matter. He has a contract. I encourage him to keep on working, things can change."

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) December 12, 2014"

Enrique has been encouraging the player for months now, but talk is cheap. And talking is all the manager has done up until now.

He didn't even select Montoya for a spot on the bench against Paris Saint-Germain, and football blogger Kristian Sturt has drawn his conclusions:

You simply can't tell a young player to keep working hard and bide his time and follow that up by not giving him a single chance. Montoya's frustrations are quite understandable, and at this point, a split seems inevitable.

Even without consistent playing time, the Spaniard still presents potential suitors with an intriguing option. He has long been regarded as one of the most talented right-backs in Spain, and the skills that gave him that moniker haven't eroded.

As reported by Football Italia, at least one club are ready to make their move in the January transfer window:

ESPN are adding Arsenal and Liverpool to the list of interested parties, and with Juventus also in the mix, the potential for a bidding war is quite real. The Bianconeri are starting to prepare for life after Stephan Lichtsteiner while Arsenal and Liverpool have both struggled with injuries and inconsistency along the back four.

These clubs need to make a splash in January, and a young, talented defender with tantalising potential makes perfect sense. GianlucaDiMarzio.com's Enrico Passarella believes the fact he isn't cup-tied only adds to his appeal:

Will the Catalans fetch a massive transfer fee for Montoya? Probably not. The player is desperate to leave, and clubs won't be willing to overpay for a relatively inexperienced defender who doesn't want to be at his current club anyhow.

But Montoya's value will never be higher than it is right now, and after months of speculation, harsh words and a total lack of contributions on the pitch, it's time to end this saga once and for all.

Montoya wants a fresh start, and Enrique clearly has no intention of giving him the minutes he so desires. It's time to stop talking and actually take action. And unfortunately, the only action that remains is a January sale.

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