Can Barcelona really afford to sign Lionel Messi this summer?
Despite doing everything possible to bring the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner back to Camp Nou, the Blaugrana still face financial challenges.
Barcelona has been working on a realistic financial strategy to recruit Lionel Messi for months. The club, which is purportedly need to drop around €200 million (£176 million/$220 million) before making any financial transfers this summer, is allegedly working on a miracle solution to overcome La Liga's tight financial regulations and bring their club legend back home.
The club's best financial minds got together and decided, rather wisely, to simply agree to slash expenditures over a three-year period — gradually cutting salaries or engaging in other measures to raise the revenue they need right away. In exchange, the team told La Liga that they wanted to be allowed to sign Messi right away.
After a few weeks of talks, the league has flatly rejected Barcelona's grand plan.
The strict guidelines
Barcelona's situation is currently bleak.
The Blaugrana spent enough money last summer to bring in a handful of prominent players, as well as a slew of newbies who will almost certainly help Barcelona win their first La Liga title in three years.
However, Laporta's famous levers were only temporary fixes. Although Barcelona is not in imminent danger as a club, their financial flexibility is more limited than ever, and league president Javier Tebas is refusing to budge on his €200 million demand.
The Blaugrana's huge wage and transfer expenses this year are to blame for the high figure. La Liga specifies how much a club can spend each year, effectively establishing a salary cap that is proportional to the club's earnings.
In other words, if Barcelona earns more money through sporting performance, matchday income, or player sales, they will be able to spend more. However, if the two figures are too far apart — if the club is vastly outspending what it raises — the league can limit their financial activity.
The club's current situation
Barcelona will spend roughly €650 million (£532 million/$713 million) on transfers and wages this year. According to The Athletic, La Liga rules require the Blaugrana to reduce that figure to around €450 million (£399 million/$493 million) in order to spend this summer.
In football terms, this does not have to be extremely difficult. Indeed, Barcelona could generate the funds through player sales, and if they clear some large salaries off the books, it's not an impossible figure to achieve.
However, before they can start saving, they must first spend. The Blaugrana have yet to file new contracts with Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and Sergi Roberto. They have already reached an agreement to sign Athletic Club center-back Inigo Martinez, who will also require registration. It's also unclear how much those changes would cost.
The players they might be able to sell
At this point, player sales are difficult. Barcelona's squad is devoid of dead weight, or at least of players of enormous value who are immediately expendable.
Raphinha has appeared in numerous transfer reports. Though the winger has had a reasonably successful first season at Camp Nou, with 13 La Liga goals to his name, it's unclear how much the Blaugrana could get for a player they paid €59 million (£50 million/$65 million) for last summer. However, it is expected that they will struggle to turn a profit. According to AS, the club owes Leeds United up to 80% of the amount they paid for the winger. Only a large sum of money would make his selling worthwhile.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0