Barcelona make final Olmo appeal as 'unprecedented' transfer mooted

Tom Weber

Updated: 7 Jan 2025 09:58 CST
4 min read

Barcelona have officially gone down the final available legal route in their battle to register Dani Olmo, according to Spanish media.

The Blaugrana were dealt a crushing setback by LaLiga and the Spanish federation, the RFEF, last week as the two governing bodies officially rejected the club's request to register Olmo and young striker Pau Victor.

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This decision came despite the fact that Barcelona had, at last, managed to provide proof that they have the necessary funds available to register the pair.

However, as the club had missed the initial December 31 deadline and the duo's playing licenses subsequently expired - with players only permitted to have one license per season - LaLiga and the RFEF decided to reject Barcelona's appeal, forcing the Catalans to take the matter to court.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have now appealed to the National Sports Council, the CSD, and the Secretary of State for Sport, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, who will proceed to study the case and make a final decision in due course.

Barcelona could seek unprecedented solution

However, should the CSD also reject their appeal, as two Spanish courts have already done previously, then Barcelona may have to seek an unprecedented and radical solution.

Olmo, as is well known, has the ability to terminate his contract with the Blaugrana but has so far insisted that he is determined to stay with his boyhood club. Should no other alternative be available, however, he may have to leave the club as a free agent and then re-join Barcelona in the summer.

The delicate part of this entire situation is Olmo's license or 'player card,' which neither he nor Barcelona hold at this point due to the passing of the December 31 deadline.

This means that even if they wanted to, Barcelona couldn't simply loan Olmo out, and this lack of license also means that he can't feature for the national team.

According to ElDesmarque, a potential solution would be an unprecedented 'private contract' with the player and another club in which it would be stipulated that he would return to Barcelona in June.

"The procedure would be for Dani to sign as a supposed free agent with the new team and sign a work contract - not a loan, but a work contract - for six months. But for this to happen, all parties must agree," a sports law specialist told the Spanish outlet.

This course of action presumes that Olmo's original contract with Barcelona remains in force. However, it is not known what his contract status would be should he decide to leave the club as a 'supposed free agent.'

One specialist pointed out to the above-mentioned outlet that it is possible that his deal with Barcelona could be rendered null and void in this scenario due to a clause that may have been included when he signed.

Ultimately, Barcelona have manoeuvred themselves into a real - and avoidable - mess and are now at the mercy of the CSD. It remains to be seen how they will decide.