3.4 million euros. This is the total amount that FC Barcelona spent this summer to buy Iñigo Martínez, João Cancelo, Oriol Romeu, Ilkay Gündogan and João Félix. On paper, it’s been a particularly well-run summer, in a very complicated financial context, even if it will logically be necessary to take stock of the sporting results of this summer transfer window 2023 at the end of the season. We must also add the 30 million euros paid to Athletico Paranaense for Vitor Roque, who will land in Catalonia next summer.
But between free arrivals, loans and very tough negotiations, Joan Laporta, Deco and Mateu Alemany managed to offer a rather qualitative squad to Xavi Hernandez, who in the end, in addition to a Dembélé whom he appreciated but who was never a player decisive in Barcelona, will not have lost any major piece this summer since the captains Busquets and Alba were clearly at the end.
Thank you Deco
The daily brand takes stock of this transfer market which is a real financial success for the Catalans, who have managed to dribble past the heavy constraints imposed by the financial fair play of La Liga to have a workforce which is, on paper still once, better than last year. In total, the Catalan club recovered 78.4 million euros from various sales, such as that of Ousmane Dembélé or Franck Kessié, and posted a profit of 44 million euros. The payroll was reduced by 161 million euros, thanks to sales and various departures. It is now 404 million euros, an amount that is becoming acceptable.
A success largely due to the good work of Deco, who took control of the sports management on the final sprint of the transfer window, managing to enlist Cancelo and Félix for 0€ (non-paying loans) by using his connections. Barca have also been helped by their status, as many of the players who arrived this summer struggled financially to land in Barcelona. This is the case of Joao Félix, who cut his salary in half to join Barça. He thus signed a new downward contract with Atlético, who then loaned him to the Blaugranas with a fairly low salary. The Catalans are only going to pay €400,000 a year to the Portuguese, and the Colchoneros will take care of the rest. Ilkay Gündogan, for example, refused him a colossal offer from Saudi Arabia, which offered him amounts that he will never touch in Barcelona. A nice step forward for FC Barcelona on its way to a slightly more stable financial situation…
