Barcelona receive €1.5bn offer to wipe debt
Martin Macdonald
- 28 Sept 2021 15:39 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona have received an offer from an unnamed company based in Dubai to wipe clear the club's debts with an injection of €1.5 billion.
The Blaugrana are currently going through one of the most tumultuous periods in the club's history both on and off the pitch.
President Joan Laporta revealed during the summer that Barcelona's debt was around €1.3bn which is part of the reason the club was unable to bring in any big-money signings in the transfer window.
Instead, they shopped in the free transfer market to sign Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Memphis Depay.
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Emerson Royal was signed from Betis but only so he could be sold on again, while Yusuf Demir was acquired on loan.
Barcelona were also ordered by La Liga to significantly slash their wage bill so that it represented around 70% of the club's annual turnover.
It was due to these new regulations that Barca were unable to keep hold of star player Lionel Messi, as with the Argentine at the club that percentage would run at 110% even after the player accepted a wage cut.
Messi would subsequently join Paris Saint-Germain, while two other big earners left in Antoine Griezmann and Miralem Pjanic.
Should Barcelona accept this Dubai offer, they would receive €1.5bn immediately which would allow them to wipe all debts as well as once again spend in the transfer market.
The team is in desperate need of investment, having started the 2021/22 season poorly under Ronald Koeman.
La Liga's new investment
Prior to the new season kicking off, La Liga announced that investment firm CVC will be pumping €2.7 billion into the Spanish top-flight for club infrastructure improvements.
In exchange for this major investment, CVC will receive a 10% share in a new company set up by La Liga to manage these finances as well as the business aspects of the league in terms of sponsorship, commercial income and overseas broadcasting rights.
Both Barcelona, Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao have rejected the proposal and released statements for their reasoning.
A statement from all three read as follows:
"Athletic Club, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF wish to announce that they have contested the resolution adopted by the La Liga Assembly on 12 August 2021, in relation to the deal between La Liga and CVC.
"The agreement violates the provisions of the applicable regulations (and in particular, the Royal Decree-Law 5/2015) and it was adopted within the framework of a procedure that is grossly irregular and disrespectful to the minimum guarantees required for these purposes, especially in a deal of such importance and scope."
