Barcelona are due to fly to the United States on Saturday afternoon, with the Catalan outfit preparing to face Inter Miami, Real Madrid, Juventus and New York Red Bulls in four pre-season affairs.

Xavi's squad list was made official on Saturday morning, with 28 players making the trip, and there were a number of talking points from the selection.

Barcelona opened their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign with a 1-1 draw against Olot last week, and they will now step up their fitness in America, with the team building towards the return of competitive action.

Here, Sports Mole picks out three talking points from the pre-season squad, including the selection of Frenkie de Jong amid reports linking him with Manchester United.

Frenkie de Jong included the squad amid exit talk

Barcelona have reportedly agreed a fee with Man United for the transfer of the Netherlands international, with the deal said to be worth €75m (£63.5m) plus add-ons.

However, De Jong is still allegedly pushing to remain at Camp Nou, with the midfielder refusing to entertain the idea of moving to the 20-time English champions during the current transfer market.

There were suggestions that Barcelona boss Xavi could leave the Dutchman out of the pre-season squad in a bid to send a message and potentially force him to accept a departure.

However, the 25-year-old will make the trip to the United States, and it appears that the saga surrounding a potential move to Man United will drag on for a couple more weeks at least.

De Jong was a key player for Barcelona next season, but his sale would allow them to register their new signings, including Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie and Raphinha, who are also in the squad.

New signings make the trip

Raphinha, Kessie and Christensen have all been named in the squad, and the trio will be hoping to make their debuts in Barcelona's opening match of the tour against Inter Miami on July 19.

Kessie and Christensen have arrived on free transfers from AC Milan and Chelsea respectively, while Raphinha recently made the move from Leeds United in a big-money deal.

Pablo Torre has also been included, with the 19-year-old recently making the move from Racing Santander, and there is a lot of excitement at the club when it comes to the midfielder.

There is a chance that Robert Lewandowski could fly out to the United States if his move is confirmed in the near future, with Barcelona potentially making an announcement on Sunday.

Barcelona endured a difficult 2022-23 campaign, but they have managed to boost their squad with a lot of talent this summer, and the club's supporters will be relishing the chance to see the new players in action.

Notable absentees, including Oscar Mingueza and Martin Braithwaite

Barcelona boss Xavi has sent a clear message to Oscar Mingueza, Martin Braithwaite, Samuel Umtiti, Riqui Puig and Neto by leaving them out of the travelling squad.

Umtiti's future at the club has been clear for some time, with the Catalan giants determined to move him on, while second-choice goalkeeper Neto is thought to be keen to seek regular action elsewhere.

Braithwaite started last season in impressive fashion, scoring twice and registering one assist in the team's first match against Real Sociedad, but he was out between September and January through injury and only played once in the second half of the campaign.

Mingueza, meanwhile, made 27 appearances at club level last season, including 19 outings in La Liga, showing his versatility by operating as a right-back and centre-back, but his contract is due to expire next summer.

Puig played 17 times for the Catalan giants last term, including featuring in their final four La Liga matches of the campaign, but he is down the pecking order when it comes to the midfield spots and that will remain the case even if De Jong completes a move to Man United in the near future.

Memphis Depay has also been strongly linked with a move away from the club, but the Netherlands international has been named in the squad for the tour of the USA. body check tags ::