Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Barca linked with Liverpool forward, Luis Suarez slams Ronald Koeman again and more - 7 October 2021

The 2021-22 season has only just begun but Barcelona are already in crisis. There is a big question mark over Ronald Koeman's future after the Catalans fell to a 2-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid in their latest La Liga outing. Barcelona have won just one of their last six games and lost three of them.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 7 October 2021.

---

Barcelona CEO says the club were technically bankrupt in March

Barcelona president Joan Laporta

Barcelona CEO Ferrán Reverter has revealed that the club was technically bankrupt when Joan Laporta took over in March. Deloitte's audit, he said, shows that there have been serious deficiencies on the administrative front. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Reverter said:

"In March, we found ourselves with a negative net worth. If Barcelona was a Public Limited Company, it would be approaching dissolution. The club was being managed terribly, with total improvisation. They launched the Espai Barca project, and the purchase of players was reckless."

He added:

"Players were bought without knowing if they could be paid for. There was no planning.

"There is an increase in debt between 2017 and March 2021 of more than 500 million euros that never passed through the Assembly.

"For two and a half years, Barcelona only generated one million euros to pay for the entire investment, everything was done on credit."

Luis Suarez slams Ronald Koeman over 40 second phonecall

Club Atletico de Madrid v FC Barcelona - La Liga Santander

Luis Suarez was shown the exit door at Barcelona in the summer of 2020 in rather unceremonious fashion. The Uruguayan striker is nothing short of a legend for Barcelona, scoring 195 goals and providing 113 assists in 283 appearances for them across all competitions.

Speaking on Gerard Romero's 'Jijantes FC' Twitch channel (via Marca), Suarez discussed the phone call Ronald Koeman made to inform him he's not part of his plans.

"The Koeman phone call to tell me that he was not counting on me lasted 40 seconds. First he told me that I would not be in his plans and then he told me that if I did not resolve my contract I was going to play (in the first game of the season) against Villarreal.

"He lacked personality to tell me things clearly, if he did not love me or if it was really the club that did not love me."

The Uruguayan also said that it was a difficult time for his family as his future hung in the balance.

"They were very difficult days because of everything I gave to the club. I spoke with Sofía (his wife) and Leo after the call.

"It was a complicated year because of everything. Messi asked to leave and then I left. The two families had a very bad time. I came home in a very bad way from training."

Suarez moved to Atletico Madrid at the end of a difficult summer and was their top scorer as they won the La Liga title.

Barcelona linked with Divock Origi

Norwich City v Liverpool - Carabao Cup Third Round

Barcelona have registered an interest in Liverpool forward Divock Origi. As per SPORT, the Catalans have shortlisted five forwards to target in January. Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, Manchester United's Edinson Cavani, Torino's Andrea Belotti and Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne are the four other players they are interested in.

Origi has played a bit-part role at Liverpool. He has shown his quality at times, scoring some important goals for the club in recent years but has never been a first-choice striker for Jurgen Klopp. The Belgian international could thus be open to a move in January.

Barcelona's financial woes continue to haunt them and they have to strike some cut-price deals to improve their squad. However, Origi's recent form doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. In the 2020-21 season, Origi scored just a single goal and provided two assists in 17 appearances across all competitions.