Barcelona make a historic recovery in La Liga wage cap

Barcelona have been one of the most active clubs in the recently concluded summer transfer window.

The Catalans had to make a significant economic recovery, especially after having their wage cap slashed to a negative figure of 144 million earlier in the year, reports Sergio Fernandez.

This came in the midst of an inflated wage bill, with Barcelona employing a host of overpaid players ranging from Frenkie de Jong, Gerard Pique and even Ousmane Dembele.

However, Barça were able to make a stunning economic recovery in the summer. They managed to offload unwanted stars such as Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Martin Braithwaite and Miralem Pjanic, among many others.

In addition, the Catalans utilised various economic levers to generate fresh revenue as well as pay off loans. The sale of 25% of the club’s TV rights played a major role in helping the club bring in fresh funds, though they also had to sanction the sale of other assets later.

The new sponsorship deal with Spotify played its part as well, while the club were able to sanction the sale of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang late in the transfer window.

It played a key role in helping them free up the wage budget to not only register Jules Kounde but also bring in Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso on deadline day. Ultimately, the Catalans were able to formulate an exciting team that has started the season quite well.

According to Sergio Fernandez, Barça have made an excellent economic recovery in the process, with their wage cup going from -€144 million earlier this year to €656 million this season.

Barcelona were also notably excluded from the list of clubs that have been hit with sanctions for breaching the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

It is a testament to the smart financial decisions made by the current regime, led by Joan Laporta. However, the road ahead could be difficult, as the club look to live up to the sporting expectations, especially after building a formidable unit in the summer.