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Barcelona are still looking to freshen things up in their frontline and have been linked with a promising Juventus player.
Barcelona have kicked off the 2021-22 La Liga season on a promising note. Martin Braithwaite scored a brace as the Catalans dispatched Real Sociedad 4-2 in their season opener. Club president Joan Laporta and co. are still looking at ways to trim the club's wage bill and bring it under the La Liga salary cap.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 16 August 2021.
Gerard Pique says club's veteran players are ready to take paycuts
Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique was recently in the news for agreeing to take a paycut so the club can register new signings. The Spaniard has now revealed that the club's veteran players are all open to the idea of taking paycuts.
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There has been criticism from some circles that the players at the club could have done more to ensure Messi stayed. But Pique and Jordi Alba have dismissed that argument.
Pique said (via Marca):
"I've been in touch with the other captains and they're going to take a reduction too. It's just a matter of timing. That's why I could do it first to get it done quickly and help register players. We're a family and the captains have been keen to do this from the first moment too.
"[Fans whistling Jordi Alba for not reducing his salary yet] might have come from a misunderstanding. I've been in touch with the other three captains, with Sergi, Busi and Jordi Alba, and they've all been keen to do this with the club from the first moment.
"But, they needed someone to do it officially already to be able to register players. I know the others are close to doing so too. Sometimes the information people receive isn't 100 percent correct. I feel proud of the other captains and I want the players and fans to be all together."
Jordi Alba, who was jeered by the Camp Nou crowd for allegedly not taking a paycut, told a press conference after the game against Real Sociedad :
"When the club talks with me, I am willing. I'm from here, spending my whole life in Barcelona. That my commitment is questioned hurts me a lot. As the president hasn't spoken specifically about this yet, I suppose he will speak and he'll tell the truth."
"It's not true [that Messi left because of a pay cut the captains rejected]... the Messi stuff was separate from the captains, between he club and him.
"I can't control everything that's said, but I've been around. Nothing will surprise me. If 10 out of 10 news articles about Jordi Alba are negative, it's normal that people think badly. I can't stand being doubted."
Joan Laporta says Barcelona's debt is €1.35 billion
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has laid into his predecessor Josep Maria Bartomeu. Laporta has accused Bartomeu of playing a big role in the Catalans' financial troubles. He has also revealed the full extent of the debt which stood at above €1 billion at the start of the year.
Bartomeu sent a letter to Laporta's office accusing him of failing to act expeditiously to deal with the club's financial troubles. The Barcelona president has now issued a response to that letter.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Laporta said:
"When we took over the club we asked for a bridge loan of €80m (£68m/$94m) granted by Goldman Sachs because we would not have been able to pay the salaries of players and employees
"The previous board had received an advance of €79m (£67m/$93m) relating to 50 per cent of La Liga's television rights and the banks charged it at 9% interest.
“The reduction of wages by the previous board was not real. We have found those millions in different types of bonuses and variables included in the new contracts. We have found disproportionate payments to intermediaries, not agents, a transfer that cost €40m (£34m/$47m) and for a purchase premium we paid €8m and a sale premium of €2m. A person was paid €8m to find players in South America."
He went on to slam Bartomeu's actions and directed everyone's attention to the full extent of Barcelona's debts.:
“The entity's controls were bypassed. Invoices were divided up, such as those of 'I3 Ventures' with 'Barcagate', invoices of 'Espai Barca' and of the debt contracted were also divided so as not to go through the Assembly.
“Bartomeu's letter is full of lies. It obeys an effort to justify management that is unjustifiable. It is an exercise in despair. We have a salary bill that represents 103% of the club's total income. It represents 20-25% more than our competitors.
“No one is going to escape from those responsibilities. The economic situation is worrying and the financial situation is dramatic. Barcelona has a net worth of minus €451m (£383m/$531m) and a debt of €1.35bn (£1.15bn/$1.59bn)."
Barcelona offer Ousmane Dembele in exchange for Dejan Kulusevski
According to reports in Spain (via Tuttomercatoweb), Barcelona are looking to offload Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman has just one year remaining on his contract but hasn't responded positively to the club's efforts to extend his deal.
The report adds that Barcelona are keen to do business with Juventus. The Catalans have offered Dembele to the Bianconeri in exchange for Kulusevski. However, Juventus are not willing to part with Kulusevski just yet.
The 21-year-old made a total of 47 appearances for Juventus in the 2020-21 season across all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists.
