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Barcelona are currently knee-deep in debt after accumulating a net spend of €471m in the past five seasons alone. Only the two Manchester clubs have flushed out more money in this time period. But unlike Barca, both Premier League giants have wealthy beneficiaries of their own. Therefore, due to their reckless transfer decisions and the ongoing pandemic, the Catalan club have had to face the most economic distress in all of Europe.
To every Culer's relief, former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu's 'reign of terror' ended in 2020, following a vote of no confidence that called for his resignation. He was eventually succeeded by fan-favorite Joan Laporta, who inherited the financial crisis, constituted by his predecessors. Presently, the Blaugrana owe more than €1.2b in debt, with around €730m of it to be repaid in the short term, as reported by El Mundo.
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In an effort to counter this massive threat to the club's legacy, newly-elected Laporta recently secured a €500 million credit line with investment giant Goldman Sachs. Even though a huge chunk of this sum will be used to settle the pending loans and unpaid wages, it seems the Barcelona president also aims to completely overhaul the squad.
Barcelona are struggling to get unwanted players off their books
A week ago, Samuel Umtiti and Miralem Pjanic were offered to be released from their contracts on a mutual agreement. As per some reports, Pjanic and Umtiti are believed to pocket over €240k on a weekly basis. The fact that both these players spent a combined total of 2,122 minutes on the pitch for Barcelona, in the 2020/21 season, says a lot about the Spanish side's handling of finance in recent years.
Through the assistance of Lionel Messi, Barcelona have managed to remain competitive in these turbulent times. However, their Argentine talisman is now a free agent. And even though the Catalan side are the favorites to re-sign him, they have their hands tied due to certain regulations.
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently stated that unless the 26-timed Spanish champions cut their wage bill by €198m, they will neither be able to bring back Messi nor register any player they have already signed or will sign in this transfer window. Surprisingly enough, Barcelona's annual wage bill exceeds their net income. This anomaly would compel them to use only 25% of their savings on wages for newly signed players.
In spite of their monetary woes, Barcelona are too big an entity to fail. Their current squad comprises two main factions: aging stars who are past their prime, yet are on massive wages and inexperienced youngsters who may fulfill their potential in the future, but cannot be solely relied upon in the present. So signing players like Memphis Depay and Emerson Royal is more crucial than it may seem on paper.
Transfer updates and rumors
In an attempt to accommodate more new signings, the Catalan giants have started with their cost-cutting measures. Deadwood, including Jean-Clair Todibo, Carles Alena, Junior Firpo and Matheus Fernandes, have already departed the club and the promising Francisco Trincão has been purchased by Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan. Furthermore, Laporta has managed to renegotiate terms with a number of veterans.
Barcelona are in dire need of some solid and adept defensive recruitments. Aymeric Laporte, Pau Torres and Jules Kounde have been associated with the club in the past, but their acquisition seems unlikely. With a plethora of options upfront owing to the free signings of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, the Blaugrana are looking to offload some existing names.
Antoine Griezmann has been linked with a number of clubs, including City and Chelsea. A possible return to Atletico Madrid is also being touted, with Saul Nigez heading to the Camp Nou as part of a swap deal. The Frenchman could be available for a cut-price, with Barcelona desperate to muster some funds. Additionally, the likes of Sergi Roberto, Philippe Coutinho, Neto and Martin Braithwaite are slated to leave soon.
Another player identified as a potential target for Barcelona is Lille midfielder Renato Sanches. The Portuguese was an essential part of the French club's title-winning campaign.
If the initial days of Laporta's presidency are anything to go by, Barcelona seem to be on a path towards recovery. Nevertheless, the size of their problems are too astronomic to be dealt with, this easily. With restructuring of the squad all but eminent and multiple financial restrictions hanging over their heads, Ronald Koeman's men have a long and tumultuous season ahead of them.
