Barcelona are racing against time to make space within the LaLiga salary cap to ensure Dani Olmo remains registered for 2025. According to reports.
Olmo, who joined from RB Leipzig in the summer, initially missed the first two matches of the season due to a delay in his registration in La Liga due to Barcelona's ongoing financial difficulties.
His registration was eventually dealt with on a temporary basis, taking advantage of the injury exemption granted following Andreas Christensen's long-term absence.
If Barcelona fail to cut their spending below La Liga's €426m salary cap by January, Olmo will not be eligible to play in the latter half of the season.
Striker Pau Victor, another summer recruit from Girona, faces a similar predicament.
Adding urgency to the matter is a clause in Olmo's contract which could allow him to leave the club for free if he is unable to score by the start of 2025.
🚨 Dani Olmo may not be able to play for Barcelona in La Liga for the rest of the season. 😯🔵🔴
The Spanish midfielder has been registered provisionally and can play in the league until December 31.
The Spanish club still has 3 weeks to register it permanently, but if… pic.twitter.com/mdZna6fPEf
– Broadcast news live (@DeadlineDayLive) December 10, 2024
This type of clause has become more frequent in contracts at Barcelona in recent years, and first appeared when Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie signed for the club in 2022.
Despite currently exceeding the cap, Barcelona can reinvest a percentage of any savings or revenue they make into player registrations.
Barcelona's recent announcement of a new deal with kit supplier Nike is expected to provide a financial boost.
However, the agreement is conditional on the approval of club members, with a vote scheduled to take place on December 21.
In addition to the Nike partnership, Barcelona are reportedly negotiating a 20-year deal to sell the rights to Spotify Camp Nou VIP boxes, which are subject to renewal.
If other options fail, sources suggest the club may consider a last resort solution: a personal financial guarantee from a Barcelona board member to secure the registration of Olmo and Victor.
For now, the club is focusing on addressing the financial hurdles it faces to avoid losing a key player like Olmo midway through the season, as well as retaining the talent they have worked so hard to bring into the squad.
