Just when you think Barcelona are back on track, a timely reminder of their laughable financial situation pops up.
After a turbulent 2023/24 season that saw the departure of Xavi Hernandez in its wake, Hansi Flick looked to bring stability and some good bloody football back to Catalonia. The start to the German's tenure has been impressive, but there is reason to believe that the second half of 2024/25 will be more difficult than the opening term.
Barcelona's knack for kicking the can down the road for a short-term break is rearing its ugly head once again in the case of Dani Olmo. Signed in the summer from RB Leipzig, the club risks losing one of Flick's most trusted lieutenants on a free in January. transformation window.
This is why.
Barcelona They have been in a perpetual battle to sign players since Joan Laporta returned as president in 2021. However, while the situation with Olmo is not necessarily new, it is unique.
Barcelona's problems when signing new players boil down to La Liga's salary cap. Each team in the division boasts a salary cap depending on how much revenue they generate, and the Blaugrana have been operating above the cap for some time.
The club were forced to hollow out salaries and increase revenue streams in order to sign Olmo, who joined Barcelona for £50m on a six-year deal. They did so thanks to the long-term injury that Andreas Christensen suffered at the end of August. League Allowing clubs to allocate 80% of the salary of any injured player to register another player. While 80% of Christensen's salary was not enough to cover Olmo's long-term contract, a new salary cap rule was created by La Liga which allowed Barcelona to sign the Spaniard after he missed the first two matches of the season.
However, this new rule only allowed the club to register Olmo for the first half of the 2024/25 season. This four-month allowance expires on December 31, 2024, and Barcelona are scrambling to find a solution before the deadline.
The clock is ticking but Barcelona are still hoping to score Olmo in time for the remainder of the season. There is hope that the club's new sponsorship deal with Nike will provide the revenue needed immediately, but Barcelona have also explored the possibility of selling VIP boxes in advance of the more glamorous Camp Nou stadium, and could also draw on further leverage by once again turning to Barcelona's studios.
Risky bank guarantees can also be signed by members of the board of directors for Olmo registration. The total amount they need to comply with La Liga's salary cap is €60 million. Laporta and others chose to obtain bank guarantees when registering Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix and Jules Kounde.
There is a legal route to follow as well. Barcelona has filed a complaint with the city's commercial court requesting the registration of Olmo, as well as Pau Victor, as they claim the players are deprived of their right to work. The decision in this case is scheduled to be revealed on December 27, just four days before the deadline.
It's far from an ideal situation, but the sporting director Deco expressed his confidence in Olmo's scoring Barcelona defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-2 UEFA Champions League“I'm sure we will be able to score Dani Olmo,” he said.
“The club is working on it. There are internal discussions going on and I can’t say more here publicly, but we will fix it.”
Olmo is in a difficult situation but his camp is confident that the situation will be resolved and the player will be registered for the second half of the season. However, if the worst-case scenario happens, Catalan media have said Olmo has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Barcelona on a free in the January transfer window.
Hence, there is a possibility that Olmo could play his final game for the club when they face Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
The Spaniard was absent from the field for a month due to a muscle injury in the fall, but he played 14 matches with his new club in all competitions, scoring seven goals. He is Flick's preferred choice for the No. 10 role in the German's 4-2-3-1 formation, and his absence will undoubtedly be difficult if he is unable to score in the second half of the season.
Olmo was signed to replace Ilkay Gundogan after his return to the team Manchester CityBut his arrival has so far hampered the once-thriving Fermin Lopez, who has impressed during the first half of 2024 for both club and country. He's a natural replacement for Olmo, but we could also see Pedri playing a more advanced role with Javi or Frenkie de Jong getting more minutes at the pivot.
