Barcelona and their finances continue to baffle me. They have just ended the Lewandowski transfer saga by officially prying the Polish striker from FC Bayern Munich in a €50M transfer.
HOW ARE BARCELONA ABLE TO SIGN PLAYERS?!?! I mean, does being €1.5B in debt not mean anything?
I guess not as Robert Lewandowski, arguably the best striker in the world, has joined Frank Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, and Ousmane Dembele to round out a flurry of new signings and resignings by the Blaugrana.
As for the football side of this move, it’s clear Barcelona have just become a prominent force in Spanish football once again. Robert Lewandowski brings an assurance of 25 league goals to a side that has been desperate for a new striker since Luis Suarez and Leo Messi left the club. If anyone doubted Barcelona’s chances of winning La Liga next season, they shouldn’t be doubting any more.
Real Madrid were circumstantial champions (if we are being honest) with no real competition as Barcelona fell of the face of the footballing world last season. Next season will be different.
With Xavi gaining more experience and tactfulness as manager each day, and boasting of a forward line of Dembele, Raphinha, Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay, Fernan Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and now Robert Lewandowski, I can’t see Barcelona not winning La Liga next year.
Will they win the Champions League? Absolutely not. Their defense is not good enough.
But they could get close. I’d predict a Quarterfinals berth if they can manage to avoid the better teams early on.
Now, to the more interesting question: where does this leave Barcelona’s finances? In a span of a week, Barcelona has just spent over €100M on Robert Lewandowski and Leeds United’s Raphinha. Plus, they just resigned Ousmane Dembele to a new 2-year deal. That is a lot of money for a team in over a billion euros worth of debt.
Obviously, they are going to have to sell players. Despite their President’s, Joan Laporta, incessant ramblings about how they want to keep everyone, they can’t. Their debt and La Liga salary cap restrictions won’t allow them to keep everyone they have under contract.
Their recent sale of over 10% of their TV revenue stake for €200M only accounts for the losses they suffered last season. So, they still need to pay off all of the debt accumulated from the past ten or so prior years.
This Lewandowski transfer all but assures that Frenkie De Jong will be sold to Manchester United, and his wages removed from their salary cap. I can’t see a world where Frenkie De Jong (one of the club’s highest earners) stays at Barcelona and the club are able to register Lewandowski, Raphinha, Kessie, Christensen, and Dembele under the salary cap. It’s just not possible.
Plus, this now opens the door for Cristiano Ronaldo to finally leaved United and fill vacant striker spot left by Lewandowski’s departure at Bayern Munich.
Isn’t it funny how football works at times?
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