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Barcelona fans have been handed a dismal update on the club’s transfer plans for the summer 2021 window and have been told not to expect to see any big-names arriving at the Camp Nou.
Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens at ESPN report that Barcelona “will not be able to compete with the top European clubs” in the window because of their current financial difficulties.
Barcelona will hold presidential elections in January and candidates often promise to make exciting signings in the run-up to the big event. That seems unrealistic this time around after the club announced in October that their total debt is now €488 million.
Sporting director Ramon Planes is now on the hunt for “low-cost players” as well as “players who will become free agents in the summer, or young talents who won’t require a big outlay.”
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Candidates Talk Up Transfers
Yet the club’s difficult financial situation has not stopped presidential candidates talking transfers. Emili Rousaud has said Neymar is a target as well as another big name, according to Marca.
We are working to bring him [Neymar back to Barcelona… if he withdraws the lawsuit he has against the club. We hope to be able to announce soon the name of the other big-name player we want to bring. It will not leave anyone indifferent. We have a direct line to the player.
Yet another presidential hopeful, Toni Freixa, told Cadena SER that he is against the idea of bringing the Brazilian back to the Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar, because of his performance, is not even among the 30 best players in Europe right now. If I were president, I would not sign him. The most important thing about Barcelona is Barcelona itself. We do not depend on anyone.
Rousaud and Freixa are not the only men hoping to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu and be installed as the president of Barcelona. Victor Font, Jordi Farre, Lluis Fernandez, Agusti Benedito and former president Joan Laporta are also expected to run.
Barca Players Agree Pay Cuts
Barcelona have eased some of their financial pressures by ageeing further pay cuts with the playing staff. The Catalan giants announced in a statement on their official website on Friday an agreement has been reached which will save the club a considerable amount.
The representatives of the club and the players that make up the negotiation table for FC Barcelona salary adjustments, aware of the great interest and concern with which all of Barcelona follow the work of this commission, make this joint statement public to inform of the following:
Today, the parties have reached an agreement in principle that allows an adjustment to salaries for the current season, for an amount of 122 million euros fixed remuneration, to which is added the deferral for 3 years of variable remuneration from this season, budgeted at an approximate figure of 50 million
The measures should help but have still fallen short of the €190m target the club needed to meet, according to journalist Jamie Easton Gombau. Barca could look to raise more funds in the next few transfer window by selling some of their fringe players which would also reduce the wage bill further.
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