Barcelona: Charged with corruption .... again!

[Cloud7]

Barcelona can sell a few players and solve the problem. They're simply refusing to do that. They've tried the shenanigans swap with Griezmann for Saul, that's it...

Griezmanns value is pretty much zero because he's on €50m a year ish in wages. As a free transfer it's probably workable for big clubs, just about.

They have guys like Pedri, Fati, De Jong, Ter Stegen and others who would all go for big money and are on decent wages.

They also have older players like Busquets, Alba, Umtiti, Coutinho who are on massive money, €20m a year at least, who they can't sell easily. They're trying to get them to take a huge pay cut. Can't imagine why any of them would agree to it.

Might end up in court, would be an interesting dressing room dynamic this season that's for sure.

The published supposed wages of Barcelona players are too low, know that because can get the total wage bill from Barcelona published annual report and it doesn't add up.

The issue with the transfers is that the players clubs would be interested in, like De Jong, Pedri etc., you would think are meant to form the core of their next great team. The older players, no one will really be interested in them, especially on the money that they're on. The younger ones, there will be many takers, but if Barcelona do sell them, then where does the club go from there? What are their prospects for forming their next team when their best young players have been sold off?

It's like a damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of situation when it comes to the transfers of other players.

 

[caid]

The issue with the transfers is that the players clubs would be interested in, like De Jong, Pedri etc., you would think are meant to form the core of their next great team. The older players, no one will really be interested in them, especially on the money that they're on. The younger ones, there will be many takers, but if Barcelona do sell them, then where does the club go from there? What are their prospects for forming their next team when their best young players have been sold off?

It's like a damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of situation when it comes to the transfers of other players.

You'd expect the younger players to be on reasonable contracts too. No point in selling them to fund Griezmann for a year, who do you sell in a years time?

 

[Dave Smith]

Even for free, no one is going to.pay Griezmann €50m a year. Every club has wage structures furthermore, transfer fees are paid for registration. What happens when Griezmann wants to renew the contract...will he earn the same €50m?
The only way they get rid of Griezmann is to pay him off or subsidize his wages.

For sure, I entirely agree. I mean, lets look at Griezmann. One club in England that may take him is Chelsea as they look like they're struggling for a CF. At this moment in time their top earner is on anywhere between £250-£300k a week depending on what you believe. To sign Griezmann, even on loan with no fee, it would mean their top earner wage would have to go up by a multiple of 2.5-3.5 times. No way are they doing that and they're one of the richest teams in Europe.

 

[Zehner]

What are the chances of contract termination? A forced relegation surely would pose an existential crisis for Barcelona - would that (or the threat thereof) be enough to terminate player contracts?

I mean, they sure do seem very relaxed for such a situation. Just wondering what they might have in their backhand.

 

[Dave Smith]

You'd expect the younger players to be on reasonable contracts too. No point in selling them to fund Griezmann for a year, who do you sell in a years time?

Well something has to give. They're approx €200m over their wage cap and that means they cannot re-sign their demigod Messi, register any of their new signings and will even not be allowed to play a number of their current high earners.

At this point it is pretty clear they're not shifting players like Umiti, Pjanic, Roberto, Coutinho, Dembele owing to their absolutely insane wages and those players knowing they will never recoup that money (Dembele is slightly different as his is due to injury and he is better off seeing his contract out to sign elsewhere on a free.) You then have Griezmann who takes up around 20%+ of their new wage bill alone. He may be able to be shifted but only if Barca agree to pay a significant portion of his wages, however if they do that, they'll still be over.

That then leaves two options;

A) Bite the bullet, lose Messi and have numerous un-registered players that you're paying for.

B) Sell the sellable assets so you're not paying players to do nothing.

Either option is not palatable as it screws them long term.

 

[Dave Smith]

What are the chances of contract termination? A forced relegation surely would pose an existential crisis for Barcelona - would that (or the threat thereof) be enough to terminate player contracts?

I mean, they sure do seem very relaxed for such a situation. Just wondering what they might have in their backhand.

Not really possible as their contracts are legally binding. The one player to have a loop hole, for whatever reason, has already been cut loose and now they're facing legal action. If they had more options like that and they were confident they could do it they would've already taken them.

 

[Zehner]

Not really possible as their contracts are legally binding. The one player to have a loop hole, for whatever reason, has already been cut loose and now they're facing legal action. If they had more options like that and they were confident they could do it they would've already taken them.

Yeah, thought as much. But then again they might also be trying to still make a bit of money on a player they signed for €100+m just two years ago. Still wondering why they signed those three players already (actually good value for money transfers) when they are so fecked. I just can't believe they would do that if the risk of not getting a license would be as real as it currently seems. Though one should never underestimate the arrogance of elite clubs, mind.

 

[Daysleeper]

Pedri and Fati are free agents next summer. We can raid all we want in January

pedri is not

 

[carvajal]

Mateus on how he was fired and treated by Barça
https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2021/07/24/60fbd925e2704e661c8b4574.html

 

[GreenFieldsGoldenBarley]

Anyone think we could go in for De Jong if Pogba leaves? Net spend of like £30m, would potentially solve our issue at 6 for 5-10 years, and it's not like Barca are in a position to turn down a bid of around £80m. De Jong, Bruno and an 8 actually looks like a balanced midfield 3 that could control a midfield while carrying an attacking threat. For the 8, Donny already has a relationship with de Jong, Fred could provide defensive workrate in bigger games, or we could look at someone new like Camavinga.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

The issue with the transfers is that the players clubs would be interested in, like De Jong, Pedri etc., you would think are meant to form the core of their next great team. The older players, no one will really be interested in them, especially on the money that they're on. The younger ones, there will be many takers, but if Barcelona do sell them, then where does the club go from there? What are their prospects for forming their next team when their best young players have been sold off?

They can buy some new players later.

Real Madrid, whose finances are generally better than Barcelona's, will have made 1 signing in the last two summers: David Alaba on a free. Barcelona are signing people left and right, it's ridiculous.

 

[crossy1686]

pedri is not

He is.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-barcelona/vertragsende/verein/131

However, seems there's a club option for 2 years on both him and Fati.

 

[abundance]

yes he was, pay attention:

https://salarysport.com/football/player/antoine-griezmann/

are those gross or net?

 

[carvajal]

He is.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-barcelona/vertragsende/verein/131

Barça can extend until 2024, something like United with Pogba

 

[crossy1686]

Barça can extend until 2024, something like United with Pogba

Yeah I saw that after I commented, edited my post

 

[Daysleeper]

He is.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-barcelona/vertragsende/verein/131

However, seems there's a club option for 2 years on both him and Fati.

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Barca can extend for two years as it was a five year contract from 2019.

 

[Daysleeper]

They can buy some new players later.

Real Madrid, whose finances are generally better than Barcelona's, will have made 1 signing in the last two summers: David Alaba on a free. Barcelona are signing people left and right, it's ridiculous.

Barcelona are signing players on frees as well, and for much less than Alaba

 

[carvajal]

Yeah I saw that after I commented, edited my post

otherwise it would be too sweet. I would love for Madrid to do a Figo

 

[Dave Smith]

Yeah, thought as much. But then again they might also be trying to still make a bit of money on a player they signed for €100+m just two years ago. Still wondering why they signed those three players already (actually good value for money transfers) when they are so fecked. I just can't believe they would do that if the risk of not getting a license would be as real as it currently seems. Though one should never underestimate the arrogance of elite clubs, mind.

Arrogance and Barcelona go hand in hand.

 

[Ish]

Perhaps its now the best time to raid Barca squad? I mean De Jong might be a good signing for us, Pedri and Fati looks quite nice too.

Those 3

 

[Paxi]

Mateus on how he was fired and treated by Barça
https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2021/07/24/60fbd925e2704e661c8b4574.html

I hope they have to pay for his contract. Absolute chancers trying to cancel his contract. In fact I hope they go bankrupt — would be beautiful to see.

 

[Ish]

Who’d have thought that anyone would struggle to raise cash, from sales of Coutinho, Griezmann & Dembele a couple of years ago. Football moves fast (the pandemic hasn’t helped either).

 

[kouroux]

I hope they have to pay for his contract. Absolute chancers trying to cancel his contract. In fact I hope they go bankrupt — would be beautiful to see.

Good man. I can only agree there.

 

[Dave Smith]

Who’d have thought that anyone would struggle to raise cash, from sales of Coutinho, Griezmann & Dembele a couple of years ago. Football moves fast (the pandemic hasn’t helped either).

Well, even a couple of years ago, if you told people those players were on a combined €1.25m+ a week gross, they would've said difficult.

 

[Cloud7]

They can buy some new players later.

Real Madrid, whose finances are generally better than Barcelona's, will have made 1 signing in the last two summers: David Alaba on a free. Barcelona are signing people left and right, it's ridiculous.

How many players of that level can they sign? Those are some seriously high potential players. If they're sold they're going to United, City, Bayern etc., and if Barca were to try to get them back, or players at that level, they won't come cheap further down the line either.

 

[Dave Smith]

I hope they have to pay for his contract. Absolute chancers trying to cancel his contract. In fact I hope they go bankrupt — would be beautiful to see.

Well I think this season will be make or break for them. If they cannot shift enough of their big earners (likely) and there is another wave of covid (also likely) I am not seeing how they survive without a fire sale to end all fire sales.

Currently, their wage bill stands at 110%+ of revenues (approx, some have it as high as 120%.) They are currently in €1.3bn debt with servicing costs of approx €40m. They also have some serious fees they still need to cover coming up (reports say they still owe as much as €70m on Coutinho.)

Essentially, if they do not get some of the really hard to shift players off the books and covid strikes again, I do not see how they survive as a top club for the foreseeable future; barring them going private and selling out to the Saudi's or something similar.

 

[Paxi]

Well I think this season will be make or break for them. If they cannot shift enough of their big earners (likely) and there is another wave of covid (also likely) I am not seeing how they survive without a fire sale to end all fire sales.

Currently, their wage bill stands at 110%+ of revenues (approx, some have it as high as 120%.) They are currently in €1.3bn debt with servicing costs of approx €40m. They also have some serious fees they still need to cover coming up (reports say they still owe as much as €70m on Coutinho.)

Essentially, if they do not get some of the really hard to shift players off the books and covid strikes again, I do not see how they survive as a top club for the foreseeable future; barring them going private and selling out to the Saudi's or something similar.

Your post is music to my and @kouroux ears.

 

[kouroux]

Your post is music to my and @kouroux ears.

This craziness with the sale of Neymar, everything they handled after that has been bad. I have a Barca friend, he's so disconnected from things. I kept telling him that some players haven't registered yet and he doesn't understand

 

[Paxi]

This craziness with the sale of Neymar, everything they handled after that has been bad. I have a Barca friend, he's so disconnected from things. I kept telling him that some players haven't registered yet and he doesn't understand

The definition of burying your head in the sand.

 

[Kentonio]

Barcelona are signing players on frees as well, and for much less than Alaba

You know you still have to pay their substantial wages, right?

 

[Daysleeper]

You know you still have to pay their substantial wages, right?

their wages aren’t that substantial at all

 

[spaceboyRSA]

their wages aren’t that substantial at all

Not by Messi standards maybe

 

[Daysleeper]

Not by Messi standards maybe

nah, don’t be daft, those wages are fine

 

[Kentonio]

their wages aren’t that substantial at all

Playing players over £200k a week is substantial for any club that hasn't lost their fricking minds.

You know Chelsea and City currently have exactly 2 players each earning over that number right? Barca supposedly have at least 10.

 

[Daysleeper]

Playing players over £200k a week is substantial for any club that hasn't lost their fricking minds.

You know Chelsea and City currently have exactly 2 players each earning over that number right? Barca supposedly have at least 10.

sure, but for Aguero 5M euro a year is very fair and depay is making even less.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

Barcelona are signing players on frees as well, and for much less than Alaba

Yes, players who they will not be allowed to register.

The point is that when you are in a difficult financial situation it's unlikely that you are going to find a solution that only brings you good things and comes with no downsides of any kind.

 

[Daysleeper]

Yes, players who they will not be allowed to register.

The point is that when you are in a difficult financial situation it's unlikely that you are going to find a solution that only brings you good things and comes with no downsides of any kind.

They’ll be fine, it’s a mess for sure but by mid August they’ll sort something out

 

[NinjaZombie]

Playing players over £200k a week is substantial for any club that hasn't lost their fricking minds.

You know Chelsea and City currently have exactly 2 players each earning over that number right? Barca supposedly have at least 10.

If that's true, they're fecking madmen over there in Catalonia.

 

[Oly Francis]

They’ll be fine, it’s a mess for sure but by mid August they’ll sort something out

They'll find something for sure, but the question is, will this "something" bite you in the butt 2 or 3 years from now when you have to rebuild the team and (for example) still have to pay a retired Messi or Busquets a salary that you spread over 5 years.

 

[Ish]

Well, even a couple of years ago, if you told people those players were on a combined €1.25m+ a week gross, they would've said difficult.

I assume Griezmann is on €880k of that figure? Crazy.