Barcelona ready to take their own players TO COURT to cut costs

Robin Bairner

• 22 Jul 2021 09:52 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona are threatening to take their players to court in a bid to slash their wage bill ahead of the 2021/22 season.

The Catalans have been told by La Liga that they must reduce their salary payments, with Lionel Messi’s new contract stalling as the club try to cut down on these costs.

The League have said they will not register Messi as an eligible player until Barcelona cut their costs, which means that the Argentine presently stands in limbo, having become officially a free agent on 30 June.

“Barcelona is in a delicate economic situation, with significant losses and a very large debt. We have a salary to turnover ratio of 110% and we do not comply with La Liga’s Financial Fair Play,” president Joan Laporta recently stated bluntly.

Indeed, Laporta, who came into the presidency on a card of promising Messi’s future to the club, has admitted that he did not realise the extent of Barca’s problems when he took charge.

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Barcelona have tried several methods to reduce their wage bill, with Antoine Griezmann available for transfer and the duo of Samuel Umtiti and Miralem Pjanic have been offered the chance to be released from their contracts. Appeals to La Liga to increase their wage allowance have also fallen on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, the club are now ready to take drastic action in order to reduce their burden.

Barcelona ready for drastic action

If Messi has accepted an offer to half his salary, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto are all ready to make similar sacrifices.

Mundo Deportivo reports, however, that several players have not been so forthcoming in making an effort for the club and have been presented with a 15 August deadline in order to come into line. If they do not, the club is ready to go to court over the issue.

Jordi Alba is the player cited by the Catalan source as being one of the few experienced players unwilling to take a pay cut.

Barcelona are reportedly reluctant to take this course of action but are willing to take any punishment that may come their way, aware that this may only arrive in several years, allowing them breathing space to negotiate this period of economic difficulty.