Barcelona cannot afford to make January transfers, Laporta admits
Barcelona President Joan Laporta has said his club can’t make any more signings for their squad in the January transfer window because of Financial Fair Play rules.
The club spent big in the summer following the activation of economic levers – the sale of the club’s assets against future profits – but they can’t do so again in the winter window.
Barcelona are in a “healthy” financial position thanks to their levers, but will still be unable to sign players as they look to maintain their lead at the top of La Liga.
However, despite the ruling, Laporta is unhappy with how Financial Fair Play is being implemented and wants La Liga to follow the lead of other leagues.
Laporta admits Barcelona can't sign players
Speaking at an event in Bogota, Colombia, Laporta spoke about the operations from the last few months and revealed the club is in a place of economic recovery.
"We had to make some levers, which were economic operations that saved the club from ruin, and now the club is in economic recovery.
“It is now healthy with expected income of €1.2 billion euros, a profit also budgeted for €274 million, but despite that, according to the rules of the financial 'fair play' of the Spanish league, we cannot sign," Laporta said.
Laporta then revealed he and a few other Spanish top flight clubs are in talks to make La Liga’s rules on spending and Financial Fair Play more flexible, aligning with other top European leagues.
Barça president Laporta reveals: "We wanted to sign Luis Diaz, we were really interested in signing him and we even had talks with his agent". 🇨🇴 #FCB
"The truth is that we had just arrived at the club and we had financial problems. And so... Liverpool signed him" #LFC pic.twitter.com/u3Sf6HJj77— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 16, 2022
"We and some La Liga clubs are also trying to convince La Liga to be more flexible and allow us other types of interpretations that can make Barcelona strengthen itself even more,"
"It is more flexible in the Premier than not in Spain and this does not make much sense to me," the Barcelona President added later on.