Once the winter market closed, which has once again lit the fuse of the eternal conflict between Javier Tebas and the Barcelona Soccer Clubin the Catalan club there is fear of what can happen in summer: the League will not turn a blind eye to the accounts of the Catalans. Joan Laporta and his board of directors must reduce €200 million of salary mass to be able to register new soccer players, but, where do these figures come from?
First of all, we must start with the explanation of the famous and controversial wage bill limit, which worries Barça and most of the clubs in the League so much. This is a tool that the League created with the support of the clubs to control that the teams have a ceiling on the cost of their squads so that a budget balance can be obtained, that is, that you cannot spend more than what you enter. A tool that does not exist in the Premier League and that Javier Tebas complains about so much, because the UEFA suggests that all leagues have a similar philosophy.
The fact is that in Spain, after the pandemic, there have been many clubs that have exceeded the salary limit. Is it mandatory to respect it at the beginning of each season? No, but the ability to enroll players is reduced with the 40% rulecausing the club to have to release the wage bill by force.
Well, what is the 40% rule? A rule that forces clubs that exceed the salary mass limit to only be able to spend 40% of what they earn. That is to say, if a club releases 1 million euros, it will only be able to spend 400,000 euros until it stops breaking the mass limit.
How is the wage bill limit calculated?
The formula with which the League explains it is simple: corresponds to total revenue minus structural costs, that is, those costs that are extra-sports field. Therefore, the costs that are included are those that affect the players and the coaching staff of the first team: salaries, amortizations, image rights, bonuses and indemnities.
The ordinary income of Barcelona will oscillate on the €750 million. The famous levers from last summer are not included in this calculation. One of the main problems has been the early elimination in Champions with which the club did not have at the beginning of the season. And it is that the ordinary ordinary expenses of the club will be close to 965 million euros, of which some 300 million correspond to structural costs. In other words, applying the previous formula, the wage bill limit for Barça’s next season should be close to €450 million (€750M of income – €300M of structural costs).
The 200 million euros that must be released
At the beginning of September, Barça’s wage bill was close to €625 million. Far from the 450 million, approximately, that correspond to the club. From there come the almost 200 million euros that the president of the League, Javier Tebas, has talked about so much. Although the Barça economic vice-president Eduard Romeo He already said it in one of the press conferences that Barcelona held after the audits.
For the economic sustainability of the entity, it is essential to release that figure, which has already begun to be done with the withdrawal of Piquethe more than possible output of Busquets at the end of the season and the sales of other assets such as Memphis Depay. The question is: is it possible to reduce that number before this summer? Yes, but players have to be transferred without amortizing. Ferran Torres, Lewandowski, which cost from 45 to 65 million euros six or twelve months ago would not solve the problem. In addition, their salaries are much lower than those that have prevailed since the time of Bartomeu.
The players who would release that salary mass
Piqué’s mid-season retirement has been a financial relief. the goodbye of Busquets in June it could also generate a lot of reduction: collects 24 million euros gross and he is still owed an entire season with that same figure, that is, another 24 million euros approximately. The captain ends his contract in June and except for surprise, his destiny seems to be in the MLS.
Another case is that of Jordi Albawho already tried to place Mateu Alemany last summer. The winger has a contract until 2024 and does not want to leave the club. Despite the explosion of Alejandro BaldeIt seems complicated that the one from L’Hospitalet comes out in the next market.
What other players would generate economic savings? There are, but you have to rule out those untouchable pieces from the list to Xavi and the club: Pedri, Gavi, Araujo or Balde will not leave under any circumstances. From there, there are several names that have all the ballots to leave: some transfers would be painful but inevitable, like that of Dembele’s (amortized after his last renewal) and that he could leave the club for 50 million euros in the summer.
There is also the name of Ansu Fatithat has not recovered its level after the injury and whose market value is around 50 ‘kilos’ as well. Eric Garcia or Kessie, who arrived for free, would also generate savings, with transfers that could reach 15 or 20 million euros. without forgetting Frankie De Jongwhose pending amortization is around 25 million euros and knowing that the Manchester United he is very obsessed with him transfer of 90 or 100 million euros that would brighten the coffers of the club.
What seems inevitable is that Barça in the summer of 2023 is bound to the 40% rulethe same one that has not allowed him to sign in January, waiting for the deferrals to end and for a contract like Jordi Alba’s, already with an eye on 2024. The exit operation seems complicated in these coming months and, therefore the arrival folder is totally dependent on what happens with Of Jong, Dembélé, Ansu Fati and company.
