Barcelona pleaded poverty before bringing in Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Co on big-money deals, have baffled Bayern Munich and battled with Chelsea over Jules Kounde… so, how exactly are they able to afford this with no cash?
- Barcelona have been a force in the market this summer despite their finances
- They’ve signed a host of big-name players including Lewandowski and Raphinha
- But how exactly have they been able to afford this summer spending spree?
- Sportsmail looks at how have the Nou Camp outfit have done all this with no cash
Nobody expected Barcelona to be the motor behind the transfer market but that’s the way things have turned out.
Their purchase of Robert Lewandowski pushed Bayern Munich into buying Sadio Mane beforehand.
They have taken Andreas Christensen and will sign Cesar Azpilicueta making room for Chelsea’s major defensive reshuffle but they bumped them out of the way with their successful pursuit of Raphinha leaving Chelsea to sign Raheem Sterling.
Sportsmail looks at how have they done all this with no cash and investigates to what extent mortgaging the club’s future enabled them to be Europe’s big spenders this summer.
Barcelona have been a force in the market this summer despite pleading poverty before it
Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said this week: ‘It’s the only club in the world with no money but that buys all the players they want’. Is he right to moan?
Well it’s not strictly true that Barcelona have been able to buy anyone they want.
They wanted Erling Haaland remember, and had to settle for Lewandowski – two great strikers but at completely different ends of their career.
They also want Bernardo Silva and Jules Kounde but the former looks like being out of their reach and to get the latter he would need to insist on going to Barcelona on less money than he would get at Chelsea who are now favourites to sign him.
Julian Nagelsmann delivered a parting shot suggesting Barcelona were treated differently
Sevilla defender Jules Kounde is a significant target for Chelsea but Barca are also interested
But they have still signed Christensen, Franck Kessie, Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha and now Lewandowski. Did the club not plead poverty at the start of the summer making us all believe for all that they talked up certain players it seemed they would get no one?
Club president Joan Laporta said the club would sign no one unless the members allowed it to mortgage its future – sell off 49 per cent of the merchandising arm and a total of 25 per cent of future TV rights revenue.
The confusing thing is that these deals have not been closed, two of them have not even been announced yet, and yet they are spending the money.
So the plan is to get the players in and then sign off on the deals?
It appears that way. It’s also possible that in order for Barcelona to close these deals they need to convince the potential investors that they are going to be an attractive team this season.
The sight of Lewandowski smiling in Barcelona club gear will make the merchandising deal easier to do.
Laporta has already sold off 10 per cent of future TV rights money to American investment firm Sixth Street Partners in a deal worth £176million (€207m) and Laporta should sign with the San Francisco-based investment fund in the next few days. A further 15 percent should follow.
The three deals in total will bring in between £510-£595m and that is what has put Barcelona back in a position where they can buy players without having to sell first.
Club president Joan Laporta has already sold off 10 per cent of future TV rights money to American investment firm Sixth Street Partners in a deal worth £176million
The sight of Lewandowski (right) and Raphinha (left) smiling in Barcelona club gear will make the merchandising deal easier to do
But until the deals are signed they cannot register players?
Exactly and that may even be used as a tactic to pressure players such as Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay to leave this summer. We can’t register players unless you go.
So what happens between now and the end of August?
They need to finish activating these so-called economic levers and they need to buy a defender.
Chelsea are better placed to sign Kounde but that should help Barcelona complete the signing of Azpilicueta. Then they will try to push out Depay and the Frenkie de Jong saga will run until deadline day.
Chelsea are better placed to sign Kounde but that should help Barca sign Cesar Azpilicueta
The drama isn’t over yet?
This was set up to be the most boring summer in the club’s history. It’s proving anything but. Barcelona are playing a risky game balancing sell-offs with signings.
The long term risks aren’t great (Lewandowski on a four-year deal!) but in the short term, Xavi is going to end up with a team that can compete.
