It’s difficult to underestimate the trouble the Catalan giants find themselves in
Barcelona need to reduce their wage bill by €200 million if they want to be able to register any of their new signings this summer.
In the last couple of months, Barca have signed the likes of Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia. However, Goal reports that the Spanish club need to drastically reduce their wage bill if they want to be able to register any of these signings.
This is before you even get to the issue of the club wanting to re-sign Lionel Messi after his contract with the club expired this summer.
Despite already selling Konrad de la Fuente, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Junior Firpo, they still need to shave €200 million off their wage bill.
Correction: Barcelona need to lower their wage bill by €200 million, not €200,000.
I took 'kilos' to mean thousands as in a kilogram; I didn't realize it was used as slang in Spain for million. Apologies for the confusion and mistranslation. https://t.co/Qfgo4hPyNh
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) July 5, 2021
The club have also rescinded the contract of Matheus Fernandes just one year after he signed for the club for €10 million. Fernandes now intends to sue Barca for unjust dismissal.
Meanwhile, big-money names Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho and Miralem Pjanić have all refused to have their contracts terminated by the club. With little interest in the three from buyers, Barcelona have been trying to rescind their contracts. This is unsurprising when you hear that Coutinho is currently on €14 million a year.
And along with all this, the club is in huge financial trouble. Goal report that Catalan club are in €1.173 billion of debt, and still owe €323 million in transfers.
It suddenly makes a lot more sense that the club were (and still are) so keen to set up a European Super League.
It is no exaggeration to say that one of the biggest clubs in the world is facing the end of an era, and it is difficult to see how they can get themselves out of this mess.
