LaLiga

Barcelona Still Owes Over €100M In Transfers

Barcelona still owe more than €100m in transfer fees ahead of any potential new signing this summer, amid links to Liverpool forward Luis Diaz.

The Spanish giants, who recently completed a domestic treble, are aiming to strengthen their squad under Hansi Flick, after falling short in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, where they lost 7-6 on aggregate to Inter Milan in an all-time classic footballing affair.

One high-profile name linked with Hansi Flick’s side is Colombian winger, Diaz. But according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Liverpool have made it clear that the 28-year-old is not for sale.

Even if a move for Diaz fails to materialise, Barcelona’s current financial situation remains a concern. That’s because they still owe more than €102.6m (£86.6m) in unpaid transfer instalments.

Barcelona’s perilous financial situation is a consequence of several years of mismanagement, including a spiralling wage bill and several disastrous marquee signings, notably Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann.

In order to prevent the club from potential bankruptcy in 2022, club president Joan Laporta activated a series of ‘financial levers’, which included the immediate sale of future TV rights to instantly raise money.

What players do Barcelona owe money for?
Barcelona’s largest outstanding payment is to English side Leeds United, who are due €42m (£35.5m) for Brazilian winger Raphinha.

He joined Barcelona for an initial fee of £49m in 2022, with the deal rising to £55m with add-ons. Three of Raphinha’s former clubs are also owed smaller sums.

Sevilla are due €24.5m (£20.7m) for French defender Jules Kounde, while Manchester City are still owed €13.2m (£11.4m) for Spanish forward Ferran Torres.

Robert Lewandowski’s transfer from Bayern Munich also remains partially unpaid. The German giants are owed €10.6m, with six other clubs also due payments.

They are MKS Warsaw Lech Poznan, Znicz, Borussia Dortmund, Legia Warsaw and Delta Warsaw.

Athletico Paranaense are in line to receive €7m for Vitor Roque, who moved to Brazilian side Palmeiras for an initial fee of €25.5 million in January.

Barcelona also have smaller fees to pay for several of their less high-profile signings.

They include Gerard Martin, Unai Hernández, Ramón Rodríguez, Ibrahim Diarra, Emersen Royal, Junior Firpo and Ez Abde.

Barcelona’s financial situation has improved in recent months, thanks to the sale of 475 VIP seats at Spotify Camp Nou and La Liga confirming their annual spending cap is now more than €463 million ($483.7m) – an increase of nearly €40m from the beginning of the season.

It means they should avoid a situation similar to that which engulfed the Dani Olmo signing last season where La Liga blocked his registration as a squad player due to it exceeding the salary cap on the club.

Despite these improvements, given Barcelona’s outstanding transfer debts, they still need to exercise caution in the transfer market.

Sportbible.com

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LaLiga

Barca’s Rashford Hopes Rise As Turkish Club Withdraws

Barcelona remain fully engaged in their search for the winger that Hansi Flick has requested to strengthen the squad. The two main targets being pursued by the club’s sporting department are Luis Diaz and Marcus Rashford.

Bayern Munich are pushing hard for the Liverpool winger, and securing his signature will not be easy given the German club’s strong financial position.

As such, reports today suggested that Rashford had now become the priority target for the La Liga champions, who were now ready to go all in for him.

However, Fenerbahce in Turkey were also said to be admirers of the Manchester United forward, with their manager Jose Mourinho seemingly keen on a reunion.

Fenerbahce drop out of Rashford race
But, as per the latest update from MARCA, Mourinho has ruled out signing Rashford for Fenerbahce, which comes as a big boost for Barcelona.

Despite considering the option seriously, the Portuguese tactician has decided against a move for his former ward from Manchester United.

Mourinho previously coached Rashford during his time at Manchester United between 2016 and 2018. The Portuguese manager placed full trust in the young forward, who had just been promoted to the first team.

During his time at Old Trafford, Mourinho used Rashford in 125 games, during which the forward netted 28 goals and chalked up 20 assists.

Despite their past working relationship, signing Rashford is currently unrealistic for Mourinho’s Fenerbahce due to the player’s high wages – he earns €18 million per season – and because the forward’s preferred destination is Barcelona.

As a result, a move to Turkey has been definitively ruled out, with the 27-year-old attacker holding out for a transfer to Catalonia.

Barcauniversal.com

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LaLiga

“We All Make Mistakes!”: Szczesny Sports New Blonde Look With Barca Teammates

What is going on?!

Wojciech Szczesny is known for being a bit of a joker and has been having some fun on social media after seeing some of his team-mates show off new looks.

Gavi, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski have all gone blonde recently, and it looks like Szczesny has decided he wants a bit of the action as well.

He’s posted a picture of himself showing off a new blonde haircut with the caption “we all make mistakes….” and tagged his team-mates in the post.

It’s good to see the Barca boys having some fun as they prepare to get back to work for another season with the Catalans.

Szczesny will be back with the squad, after signing a two-year contract extension, but is expected to play back-up to new signing Joan Garcia.

In the meantime, we’ll have to wait and see if any more players decide to join Lewandowski, Szczesny, Yamal and Gavi in Barca’s blonde club.

Barcablaugranes.com

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LaLiga

Barca Captain Ter Stegen To Meet Flick After Deco Talks

Earlier today, FC Barcelona captain and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen arrived at the Ciutat Esportiva after his vacation as the team gears up for the start of pre-season on Sunday.

Ter Stegen returns with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over his future, considering that Barça have signed Joan Garcia to become their new No. 1.

The German international, though, has been firm on his refusal to leave the club despite the threat of being relegated to the third-choice goalkeeper behind Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny.

Ter Stegen to meet Hansi Flick tomorrow
Now, according to journalist Laia Tudel on Catalunya Radio, Ter Stegen is set to meet with Barcelona manager Hansi Flick tomorrow to discuss his future.

As per the update, the 33-year-old already met with the Blaugrana sporting director at the club facilities today and will speak with the manager on Friday.

Barcelona, for their part, are eager to offload Ter Stegen, given that they will be freeing up a huge chunk of their salary space.

However, at this point, the Blaugrana are not planning to take any drastic actions or extreme measures.

Instead, they will explain the situation to their captain and make it clear that there is competition for places, and he will have to fight to earn it.

Ter Stegen still has three years left on his contract with Barcelona and is willing to fight for his place in the team. The German’s idea is to revisit the situation and assess his prospects in January.

Tomorrow’s meeting with Flick will be crucial with regard to how the entire matter unfolds and whether Ter Stegen stays or accepts to move on from the club.

Barcauniversal.com

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