5 most underpaid Barcelona players right now

Barcelona are struggling to cope with the insurmountable debt that they have accumulated due to their financial malpractices of recent times. Newly-elected club president Joan Laporta has been very critical of the previous regiment and has already started working towards the betterment of the Blaugrana.

Various cost-cutting measures are being implied at Barcelona

Despite parting ways with many stars in the summer transfer window of 2021, Barcelona are still shackled by massive debt. The club's hierarchy is working relentlessly to reduce the colossal wage structure established by the previous board. Having renegotiated salary agreements with a number of players, Barcelona's current wage bill stands at €420 million, experiencing a reduction of 30 per cent from the original number.

Aside from renegotiating terms with current employees, Laporta also authorized the sale of around 12 squad members. While the transfers of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann freed up massive amounts of wages, they did not bring much in terms of fees. Sales of newcomer Emerson Royal (£22.5m), Ilaix Moriba (£14.4m) and Junior Firpo (£13.5m) were the major outgoings this summer.

Barcelona have started off with the right attitude in correcting their past mistakes that have driven the club to such a low point. However, because of their ongoing cost-cutting measures, several deserving players have been left stranded on financial grounds. On that note, let's take a look at five of the most underpaid Barcelona players right now:

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#5 Oscar Mingueza - £15,000 per week

Mingueza has shot to prominence in the past season

Last season was the beginning of a new era in Barcelona's history. For the first time in recent years, the club were in financial ruin, unable to make the necessary signings for their future. As a result, Barcelona had to put their trust into their capable but untested youth in order to find solutions.

Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza emerged as the club's primary centre-backs last season, at a time when regular options were suffering from a patchy run of form. While Araujo has quickly established his place in the first team, earning a contract that pays him £50,000 per week, Mingueza is yet to score a deal that reflects his contributions.

Equally capable of playing at right-back, Mingueza is one of the brighter prospects at Camp Nou. Aged 22, the Spaniard already has exceptional ball control, with the potential to become a mainstay in the Barcelona backline. However, his £15,000 per week salary is the lowest among first team members, causing a huge injustice to his talents.

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#4 Riqui Puig - £25,000 per week

Puig is a brilliant La Masia prospect

Riqui Puig's continued absence from the first team is a mystery in itself. Ronald Koeman's obstinacy to constrict Puig to the bench is highly contested by every Barcelona fan. Even Joan Laporta is a fan of the Catalan's work and believes that he could be the key to Barcelona's success in the future.

Even so, Puig is yet to start a game in the 2021-22 season. Koeman inexplicably awarded the dynamic midfielder an embarrassing 581 minutes in the entirety of last season. Nevertheless, Puig still managed to woo his audience with limited game time.

His off-the-bench electrifying performances are acknowledged by everyone except his manager. Subsequently, Puig is on a token salary of £25,000 per week. While the 22-year-old midfielder has insisted that his heart is at Barcelona, things could change swiftly if his status at the club isn't updated soon.

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#3 Marc-Andre ter Stegen - £100,000 per week

Ter Stegen has been consistent for a long time now

Barcelona's first-choice goalkeeper for almost five seasons now, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, is criminally underpaid considering his elite-level skills. At a £100,000 per week salary, the German shot-stopper inexplicably places towards the lower end of the Barcelona wage bill.

A man of Ter Stegen's pedigree can easily demand a salary in excess of £200,000 per week, and every top club would be happy to oblige. However, due to Barcelona's financial predicament, the 29-year-old has to make do with what he has.

To put things into perspective, David De Gea and Jan Oblak are the highest paid goalkeepers on the planet with a per-week wage of £375,000 and £271,000, respectively. Considering the fact that Ter Stegen is not too far behind, he is massively underpaid.

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#2 Ansu Fati - £45,000 per week

Fati scored 10 minutes into his returning match

The shining light in an otherwise bleak Barcelona attack, Ansu Fati's return from a year-long injury, has sparked new hope for Culers all across the globe. He recently announced himself to the world for the second time, scoring an absolute banger against Levante on Sunday.

Fati is the proud bearer of several records at Barcelona. At the time of writing, he is the youngest player to have scored for the club, as well as the youngest to have represented Barcelona in the Champions League. The Spaniard is also the youngest goalscorer in Europe's most prestigious football competition.

Destined to lead the line for the Catalan giants in the years to come, Fati is slated to become a free agent next summer unless Barcelona intervene in the coming days. With renewing his contract reportedly being the club's priority at the moment, Fati could soon be omitted from this list.

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#1 Pedri - £34,000 per week

Pedri is one of the few in-form players in Barcelona right now

The kind of shifts that Pedri is putting in for a mediocre Barcelona side deserve an immeasurable amount of upgrade. In just one year, the 18-year-old sensation has made 56 appearances for the club, playing a major role in keeping Barcelona competitive.

Along with Frenkie de Jong, Pedri is arguably the only other reliable player in Barcelona's midfield capable of solidifying things in the future. Even at his tender age, the Spanish prodigy is consistently putting in performances, way beyond his years.

Nevertheless, he is still on a nominal wage of £34,000 per week at Camp Nou. While stable European giants like Bayern Munich are constantly keeping tabs on his situation, Pedri's mind seems set on succeeding at Barcelona. With his contract set to run out next summer, the Catalan giants need to tie him up on a long-term deal with vastly improved wages.

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