Laporta and Deco are experiencing intense days at the offices of FC Barcelona. The season has gone smoothly, and it is time for the players to rest and for the staff to work in the offices. The main objective is to maintain the team, and therefore, they are working diligently on several contract renewals. However, another of the main tasks is to finalize some departures, as the club needs income that will not come solely through direct sales.
Barça’s financial situation
Although a few days ago Joan Laporta downplayed the issue of the salary cap, “fair play is set by LaLiga at the end of the season depending on budgets. We will bring in 950 million euros this year. Next season, the budget will exceed one billion.
We are confident that we will be at 1:1. This makes it much easier for Deco to work,“ he added. However, the truth is that not everything is so rosy in the Barça economy. He also added that ”last season we closed with positive results and that helped us a lot. Above all, it is easier for Deco to work with 1-1 than with 1-4.”
The truth is that in January, Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor had to be registered on a precautionary basis, and LaLiga continues to insist that the club has exceeded its salary cap, so closing some deals and receiving extra income will be crucial for a club that, despite what Laporta says, has already missed out on some signings, such as Rashford in January and Jonathan Tah this summer.
Departures, very active at Can Barça
The main departure expected this summer is that of Ansu Fati. The young academy player’s situation has reached breaking point and his continuity was frankly unsustainable. The striker could have left for Besiktas in January, but in the end the deal did not go through, although it now seems close with Monaco. A way out is also being sought for Pablo Torre. The club is confident in the Cantabrian player’s potential, but is well aware that he will not get much playing time and prefers a loan with an option to buy or a transfer with an affordable buy-back clause so that he can develop and then return with greater guarantees. Iñaki Peña will also leave the team after a very tough season for the player displaced by Szczesny. Another player who has a conversation pending but is also looking to leave in search of playing time is Pau Víctor.
Extra income that falls by the wayside
They are not freeing up salary, but Barça hopes that several moves will take place this summer that will provide extra income for its coffers when it comes to entering the market for the desired left winger, whether it be Luis Díaz, Marcus Rashford, or Nico Williams. As has become customary lately, the Catalan club has retained a percentage of future sales of former players. Names such as Todibo, who could fetch $8 million; Alex Valle, $6 million; and Trincao, who could fetch a whopping $20 million, are very much on the Barça radar at the moment.
The player who looked set to leave for $10 million and now seems to be staying put is Óscar Mingueza. After a great season with Celta, with whom he qualified for the Europa League, it was expected that a transfer could be completed given the interest in the player. However, as things stand today, the most likely option is that he will renew his contract. Mingueza’s contract with Celta Vigo expires in 2026, and negotiations are underway to extend his contract and keep him at Balaídos, which would leave Barça empty-handed in the short term.