After a period of deep crisis both sporting and institutional under the direction of Josep Bartomeu, FC Barcelona has been able to rise from its ashes for a few months. Champions of Spain last season, the flock of Xavi have regained credibility on the ground and the style of play deployed by the former metronome of Barça attracts certain players. This is particularly the case of Inigo Martinez and Ilkay Gundogan who joined Catalonia this summer. However, faced with this return to the fore, concern remains about the short-term future of the culé club.
Indeed, the tremors of the departure of Lionel Messi and the mandate of Josep Bartomeu are still being felt on Catalan finances. Already last season, the financial difficulties experienced by the club had forced the management to invest from its own pocket to ensure the registration of Jules Koundé in La Liga. Also, many players had agreed to a big discount on their pay slips to allow several of their teammates to qualify. Again this summer, many hiccups should arise again on this burning issue in Catalonia.
Rookies Gundogan and Martinez are not registered and could leave!
As reported Report this Monday, the club currently has only 13 players registered for next season (Ter Stegen, Koundé, Eric Garcia, Christensen, Pedri, Gavi, Kessié, Ferran Torres, De Jong, Ansu Fati, Lewandowski, Dembélé, Raphinha). While the formalization of the arrival of Vitor Roque has stalled for these same reasons, the club is not even able to register the rookies Gundogan and Martinez, as well as the new captain Sergi Roberto are not even registered because of an excessively large payroll. The same is true for young executives Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Baldé, while veteran Marcos Alonso is in the same situation.
From then on, the Barcelona staff is busy finding solutions and knows it is forced to go through the sales box. As Xavi targeted 8 undesirables to reduce the cost of wages, the situation urges as Gundogan and Martinez have their backs in case of extreme urgency. Indeed, according to the Iberian media, the former Manchester City midfielder and the defector from Bilbao saw their new club add a special clause to their contract: if they fail to be registered at the start of the season, Barça will have to pay them their full year’s salary and release them. A way to show their credentials for the Catalan club which must now act quickly so as not to lose everything.
