Financial relief for Barcelona? La Liga chief hints at brighter days

Barcelona is in the most manageable position to meet La Liga’s financial regulations and recruit new players this year, according to league president Javier Tebas, despite ongoing financial difficulties.

That means, the club will no longer have to engineer financial manoeuvres to complete signings, which has become a common practice for La Blaugrana in the past two seasons. 

Tebas talked about Barcelona’s current financial status with reporters at the 2024 Sports Summit Mexico. The La Liga chief applauded the Catalons for managing their financial challenges.

Barcelona ran into a severe financial crisis following a series of recurring losses and poor transfer decisions. 

For years, bookmakers have consistently favoured Barcelona due to their dominance in domestic and European competitions. This success also translated to their global brand, with Barcelona consistently boasting some of the shortest odds across all tournaments.

Despite their recent fall from grace, many online sportsbooks still consider Barcelona a heavyweight contender for glory at home and abroad. They managed to win La Liga ahead of Real Madrid in the 2022/23 season, despite being plagued with severe financial restrictions. 

The odds did lengthen slightly for Barca’s success, but they are still one of the top names in the world of football. 

Tebas echoed the optimism of the Barcelona board surrounding summer signings at the club.

“This year, out of all the previous years, is the most favourable for Barcelona. They understand what needs to be done to bring in new players, they are well-versed in financial fair play,” Mundo Deportivo quoted the 61-year-old. 

“They are gradually recovering from economic challenges, and we will see if they can address the remaining issues, to make the significant signings they are aiming for.”

He also lauded the Barcelona board’s praiseworthy efforts to increase their wage margin. This has been the main obstacle for the club to strengthen their squad through new signings

“There is a crucial point to note. Three years ago, Barcelona had a first-team salary budget of €650m, which has now decreased to €450m, a reduction of €20m. 

“This puts them in a more sustainable position. They are now on par with Real Madrid in terms of salaries, but Real Madrid has been managing their finances effectively for years, allowing them to make new signings,” Tebas broke explained.

Barcelona’s financial restructuring is nearing the finish line. Continued work will see them clear more registration hurdles and gain greater freedom to operate. This could translate into a future marquee signing like Nico Williams joining the ranks.

However, salaries remains a sticking point for Barcelona. While they can offer Williams a modest increase on his current wage at Athletic Club, they likely won’t be able to match potential offers from other clubs. 

Chelsea, for example, have been linked with a move for Williams in 2025, and are reportedly willing to triple his salary.

In a recent interview, Barcelona midfielder Pedri revealed his eagerness to see his Spanish teammate Nico Williams join him at the club at some point.

“We don’t talk about it much. It’s a decision that he and Barca have to make,” Pedri told Mundo Deportivo about Barcelona potentially signing Williams. 

“It’s clear he would be a spectacular signing. We’re already saw what he did at the Euros. Hopefully he can be with us, but we don’t know yet because he has a contract with Athletic. Whatever has to happen, will happen.”