View
comments
Barcelona are still struggling to register new signings just 48 hours ahead of the start of their LaLiga season.
The Catalan giants are in financial disarray and must sell players and reduce their wage bill before new boys Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia can be included in Ronald Koeman's squad.
Sportsmail looks at the ramifications, not to mention the embarrassment, of another sorry chapter in their catastrophic summer.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta still has work to do to register his club's new signings
Lionel Messi may have gone but the club are still desperately struggling to balance the books
What normally happens?
Clubs sign players and they have to register them before the transfer window shuts on the last day of August. Only free agents can be signed after that date.
Why can’t Barcelona do that with Eric Garcia, Sergio Aguero, Emerson and Memphis Depay?
LaLiga has told teams who find themselves over their salary limit that they have to apply a 1/4 ratio to summer business.
If they sign someone who costs €10million (£8.4m) - and that includes salary - then they must offload someone for €40m (£34m) - again including salary.
Barcelona have completely failed to get anyone off the wage bill so it’s difficult for them to register their new recruits.
Barcelona have failed to get anyone off the books so it’s hard for them to register new recruits
What about Messi!?
Messi had already left the club. He was off the wage bill on the last day of June. He would have counted as a new signing had he stayed.
They have got rid of Matheus Fernandes, whose contract was paid off. But the midfielder, who played just 17 minutes for the first team after being signed for €7m (£6m) in 2020, actually counts as a cost - albeit it one they can defer - because he had a deal until 2025.
So they can’t register anyone until someone leaves?
In a nutshell. Although
