200 million missing
FC Barcelona has invested 158 million euros this season in newcomers such as Robert Lewandowski (33) and Jules Kounde (23) – purely in transfers, i.e. without the corresponding salaries. In order to be able to initiate the squad change, the Catalans sold shares of their own national TV rights, among other things. The financial policy of the heavily indebted club initially has positive sporting consequences: Barça is the leader of the table. According to the current status, the Spanish league association prohibits the top club from making further investments, as confirmed by President Javier Tebas.
“As of today, Barcelona don’t have room in their budget to spend in the upcoming transfer window,” Tebas told the Financial Times at the Business of Football summit (quoted via “The Athletic“). “Barcelona have displayed questionable behavior that has impacted LaLiga and we have acted accordingly. We have decided that they cannot sign any more players.” The measure already applied last winter.
Lewandowski, Koundé & Co.: Most expensive additions to FC Barcelona
Tebas explained that Barça raised 700 million euros with the sale of the TV rights shares in order to get the club’s difficult financial situation under control – but that will no longer be possible in the coming season: “We have strict economic controls . At the end of each transfer window, we tell all clubs in LaLiga what they are allowed to spend. In the case of Barcelona, they need to reduce their spending on salaries and transfers from €650m to €450m, which is a budget of minus €200m.”
Tebas: Have encouraged FC Barcelona to sell players
Last September, LaLiga raised Barça’s spending cap from negative by around €800m to €656m. Only champions Real Madrid were ahead of the Blaugrana at this point. Each Spanish club has a different spending limit depending on the revenue/expenses ratio and liabilities (for explanation). Tebas also said: “They need to reduce their investments in players and we have encouraged them to sell players because for every amount they earn from sales, they can reinvest 40 percent.”
Despite the club’s importance to Spanish football, LaLiga cannot make any particular concessions to FC Barcelona, the 60-year-old said. Frenkie de Jong (25) was the main candidate for sale last summer. Since he has not yet taken off as hoped, Franck Kessié (26) has also been associated with a departure after a year in recent weeks. Coach Xavi had vigorously denied rumors of a possible sale of homegrown Ansu Fati (20), at least from his personal point of view.
In the TM rumor mill, the Spanish front runner was recently associated primarily with the Brazilian striker Vitor Roque (18), who offered himself offensively in Barcelona. Rumors about a transfer from BVB defender Thomas Meunier (31) have not stopped recently. Other traded names include Benjamin Pavard (26), Sofyan Amrabat (26), whom coach Xavi would have liked to sign in winter, and Marcus Thuram (25).
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