Barcelona are facing significant financial challenges, leaving them unable to register their new £60 million signing, Dani Olmo, just days before the La Liga season begins, Soccernet.football reports.
The Spanish club secured the Euro 2024 winner from RB Leipzig on a six-year deal, but it remains uncertain when Olmo will make his competitive debut for the Blaugrana.
Reports from Spanish outlet CadenaSER reveal that the registration of Olmo, along with several other Barcelona players, is at risk due to an outstanding payment of €100 million owed to German company Libero, which acquired a 25 percent stake in Barca Studios.
Although Barcelona has arranged a deal with catering and hospitality partner Aramark to cover €40 million of this debt for October, they have yet to pay the remaining €60 million due in June.
This financial situation places Barcelona in a difficult position, as La Liga’s financial fair play regulations prevent them from registering Olmo until the debt is settled. To address this, the club may need to offload some of their current players to raise the necessary funds.
While Frenkie de Jong has been frequently linked with a move away from the club, he is reportedly happy at Barcelona and unwilling to leave. Other potential candidates for sale include Ronald Araujo and Raphinha, though Araujo’s recent hamstring injury complicates matters.
Barcelona’s struggles with player registration are part of an ongoing pattern, with previous signings Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero, and Ferran Torres also facing delays in being registered due to financial issues.
As the season opener against Valencia approaches, sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta are under immense pressure to resolve these financial challenges and ensure that new manager Hansi Flick has a full squad available for the campaign’s start.
The situation also raises doubts about Barcelona’s ability to pursue additional signings, such as Nico Williams, another Euro 2024 standout.