Barcelona's transfer budget for next season confirmed

FT Desk

19 Sept 2022 21:31 BST
3 min read

Barcelona have balanced their books sufficiently to make another big splash in the transfer market next summer.

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Barcelona were €1.3 billion in the red last summer when they lost Lionel Messi on a free transfer to PSG, but they spent €150 million on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde this summer.

It has been quite the journey for the Camp Nou club over the last year, with various "financial levers" activated in order for them to remain a viable sporting entity, the bulk of which saw them sell a percentage of future revenues for liquid capital now.

Barcelona couldn't afford to put a number on Raphinha's new shirt.

Need to activate another lever first.pic.twitter.com/ri7mpjjnEu
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) July 15, 2022

And the club have now put out a press release clarifying exactly how much money has come and gone at the club over the last financial year, and what their projected budget for the next one will be.

"The Board of Directors has approved the budget for the 2022/23 season which includes an operating income budget of 1,255 million euros, with a profit forecast of 274 million euros," they write.

"At the end of the previous season, the Barca board closed the 2021/22 financial year with a turnover of 1,017 million euros and a profit of 98 million euros."

Budget clarity

La Liga used to have a 1:4 rule which became a 1:3 rule in the summer 2022 transfer window, meaning that a club can now use 33 per cent of its savings or transfer profits on player purchases.

That means we can already infer how much Barcelona will have to spend next summer before player sales: €90.42 million.

That may be less than the €150m they spent this summer, but the Blaugrana are expected to sell a number of players next summer, too.

Manchester United likely to be invited to make a big money bid for Frenkie de Jong once again, and the hope is that the Red Devils would at least have the offer of Champions League football by then.

Antoine Griezmann has a clause in his loan contract with Atletico Madrid to make his deal there permanent for €40m, meanwhile. Atleti are doing their utmost not to pay it - hence the Frenchman has been largely restricted to 30-minute cameos this season - but legally it looks like they will have to pay up.