Due to the persistent and ongoing financial turmoil that has plagued Barcelona, the club finds itself in a predicament where it is currently incapable of officially enrolling nine key players from its first-team roster for the upcoming season. This financial predicament has been a recurring challenge for Barcelona, stretching across multiple years, during which the club has resorted to various strategies aimed at generating additional revenue and meeting the stringent salary regulations imposed by La Liga.
Among these strategies, Barcelona has undertaken initiatives such as divesting the rights to Barca Studios, its in-house production entity, during the summer transfer windows of both 2022 and 2023. Despite these efforts, the club’s financial constraints have intensified leading up to the forthcoming season, with its salary cap plummeting from £558 million to a mere £232 million at the commencement of the previous campaign.
As reported by The Athletic, Barcelona faces the daunting task of procuring approximately €130 million by the looming deadline of June 30th to avert significant hurdles in bolstering Hansi Flick’s squad with new signings, particularly due to the club exceeding the salary ceiling during the 2023-24 season. Compounding the issue, nine out of the 25 players who featured in La Liga matches for Barcelona during the aforementioned season are ineligible for registration in Flick’s inaugural campaign.
Moreover, the impending expiration of contracts for key personnel such as Sergi Roberto and Marcos Alonso, alongside the culmination of loan agreements for Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix on the same date, adds to Barcelona’s roster woes. Additionally, the status of Inigo Martinez and Vitor Roque is poised to transition to ‘unregistered’ with La Liga on June 30th, owing to unconventional inclusion methods employed in the squad list for the previous season.
The plight is further compounded by the unresolved status of promising La Masia talents Alejandro Balde, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Hector Fort, whose senior contracts await formal approval from La Liga. Barcelona is embroiled in a legal dispute with the league regarding the contractual status of its homegrown prodigy, Gavi, further complicating matters. The potential re-signing of these players would only serve to exacerbate the financial strain, as their salaries would be factored into the recalibrated salary cap.
Furthermore, the situation is compounded by the automatic registration of players returning from loan spells, including Ansu Fati, Eric Garcia, Clement Lenglet, and Sergino Dest, whose existing salaries are already accounted for within the salary cap for the 2024-25 season.
Despite the enormity of the challenge, club insiders have conveyed optimism to The Athletic regarding their ability to procure the requisite €130 million before the month’s end. They are actively exploring avenues such as attracting new investors to Barca Studios and renegotiating terms with the club’s kit supplier, Nike, in pursuit of financial stability.
