FC Barcelona Will Have To Make A Big Sale In The Summer To Lower Their Wage Bill

FC Barcelona will need to make a big player sale ahead of next season to reduce their wage bill, it is thought.

The Blaugrana have recently faced difficulties registering the new contract midfield sensation Gavi due to La Liga blocking the move.

After a judge stepped in and ruled in their favor on Tuesday, however, the 18-year-old was finally registered and handed the iconic number ‘6’ shirt was donned by first team manager Xavi Hernandez.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has warned that the Spanish top flight will appeal against the running. Sometimes seeming hellbent on making things as difficult as he can for his Barca counterpart Joan Laporta and his board, Tebas has also revealed that the Catalans are supposedly €200mn ($217mn) over budget next season and must reduce the amount from their wage bill.

This has immediately led to the likes of SER claiming that Barca must make a big player sale to balance the books and begs the question as to who would be seen as their most sellable asset.

Last summer, this was Frenkie de Jong, who was deemed surplus to requirements due to the emergence of Gavi and Pedri.

Six months since the Netherlands international refused to join Manchester United after Barca allegedly accepted a €80mn ($87mn) for him, however, De Jong has become untouchable in Xavi’s midfield as the two mentioned youngsters now occupy as false left wingers more often than not.

Though Ousmane Dembele allegedly has a €50mn ($54mn) release clause, the players that Barca will most likely try and sell are Ferran Torres, Raphinha should his form not improve, and possibly Ansu Fati.

Neither of the trio are currently performing to the standards expected of the first team, with Ferran Torres putting in the least noteworthy displays.

How and why Barca paid more than £55mn ($68mn) for him from Manchester City in December 2021 is mindboggling.

Around the same fee was handed over to Leeds United for Raphinha last summer, but the Brazilian hasn’t had too shoddy a return with four goals and seven assists so far in 2022/2023.

And while Ansu Fati was once considered the future of the club and given Lionel Messi’s ’10’ shirt, Barca may ponder cashing in on him for up to €100mn ($108mn) given that the youngster has not been the same since his two serious knee injuries.