FC Barcelona launched its transfer window with a first bombazo which will be made official in the coming hours. The Blaugrana thus placed 80 million euros (70 million euros + 10 million in bonus) on the table to enlist Anthony Gordon, the Newcastle winger, who was also coveted by clubs like Bayern. Barely time to breathe when Deco and his men then went on the attack again for Julian Alvarez (Atlético de Madrid), whom they also hope to be able to recruit before the start of the World Cup. A big reinforcement could also arrive in defense, while a goalkeeper is also expected for a replacement role. Obviously, a question arises: given the recent financial difficulties of the Spanish champion, how can he suddenly afford to sign such large checks?
The first explanation is mainly linked to La Liga’s financial fair play. In recent years, FC Barcelona has been muzzled by the championship’s financial control body, which aims to limit club spending so that they do not spend more than they receive. It was not necessarily a question of liquidity problems – the club was, for example, able to put 60 million euros on Olmo – but of the salary cap established by La Liga, which enormously complicated operations. Aware that the Spanish championship was not going to let it register its players, since they would explode the club’s total expenses, Barça did not attempt any major operations.
Return to Camp Nou helps
But this summer, the Catalan club will have more room for maneuver, with this return to the famous 1:1 rule in particular. This means that every euro that enters the club can be reinvested. A return to normal, whereas before, Barça could only use part of the income for the transfer window, the rest being linked to compensating an excessively high payroll and other debts. To summarize, the people of Barcelona now have much more freedom than in recent years, and more cash at their disposal as well. The return to Camp Nou, for example, boosted ticketing revenue. The calculations speak of 226 million euros collected this season, compared to 51 million euros for matches at Montjuic the previous season. Once the entire stadium is open to the public, Barça expects to recover more than 300 million euros per season.
A massive influx of money which also helped to relax the rules of financial fair play in La Liga. The club has also carried out other small operations here and there, such as the famous sale of VIP seats at the stadium for 70 million euros, as well as the opening of several stores across the planet. Barça has also become the second club with the highest turnover on the planet currently, close to one billion euros, just behind Real Madrid. A sign that even if the situation is not yet perfect, the club is moving in the right direction.
Sales… and “false sales”
If FC Barcelona can afford to be so aggressive even before the transfer window opens, it is because the Blaugranas have surely already budgeted for several departures. The departure of Robert Lewandowski frees up a lot of payroll, and several players with a good rating on the market have a good chance of leaving the club, like Marc Casado, and even elements like Jules Koundé, Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Baldé. Barça will also collect a small check for Ansu Fati, with a purchase option of 11 million euros that Monaco would like to raise, and could do the same with right back Héctor Fort, who was on loan to Elche this season and who caught the eye of several clubs like Inter.
Image generation in progress
Then, Barça will also receive small checks throughout the summer. In recent years, when selling home-trained players, the Catalan club has made sure to retain a percentage on resale and/or part of the player’s rights. Barça will, for example, receive 20% of the possible transfer of the Moroccan Abde (Betis), highly coveted in England in particular. The same goes for the Brazilian Vitor Roque, sold to Palmeiras. The club still has 40% of the rights to Pablo Torre and 50% of the rights to Jan Virgili, two players sold to Mallorca last season and who will surely be transferred to more upscale clubs. Similar scenarios for players like Mika Faye (Rennes), Noah Darvich (Stuttgart), Sergiño Dest (PSV) or Sergi Domínguez (Dinamo Zagreb). Small checks which will accumulate and which, over time, will represent a nice little jackpot. No doubt, Barça will be able to enjoy themselves this summer.
