Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (AP)
It is reported that the Catalan club still owe a total of over 200 million Euros to several clubs as the club continues to struggle with debt as they look to fight for all the titles available to them.
FC Barcelona reportedly owes more than €200 million to several European football clubs. A document leak shows that nearly €90 million for transfer fees is to be paid to multiple clubs within the next 12 months and around €118 million in long-term payments. Uploaded by News media outlet ARA, the latest leak mostly includes transfers completed under Joan Laporta’s presidency. The Catalan giants are expected to present their accounts at the next general assembly and acknowledge these debts, which are a result of several signings in the summer of 2022. Those signings were done to bolster the squad.
A mode of deferred payments was understandably preferred in order to avoid a financial collapse at the club. It has also been reported that Barca has the money budgeted and plans to make the payments without any delay.
The ARA leaks show that the biggest debt includes a €24 million fee for Raphina which is due this year to Premier League side Leeds United. A further amount of €38 million will be paid in deferred payments in future. Bayern Munich have also not been paid in full for the transfer of their star striker Robert Lewandoski. Around €10 million of the total amount is to be paid this season while €21 million will be paid in future instalments. Another massive outlay reportedly includes the signing of Jules Kounde from Sevilla. Around €11 million will remain due by the end of the year with around €24 million in the future.
Barcelona are also understood to have failed to complete the payment for their 2019 signing Frenkie de Jong. They still owe around €16 million to Ajax for the signing of the Dutch midfielder. Smaller amounts of signings for players including Neto, Jean-Clair Todibo, Emerson Royal, Junior Firpo and Miralem Pjanic are owed to different clubs. Apart from the deferred payments, the leaks also show that Barcelona are expected to generate a revenue of around €50 million in player transfers. Nearly €9 million is to be recouped from French international Antoine Griezmann’s deal to Atletico Madrid. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s transfer to Chelsea is expected to bring around €6 million. While Junior Firpo’s deal with Leeds United FC should also bring in around €5 million.
Barcelona’s financial situation has been in shambles in recent seasons. Financial troubles deterred them from renewing the contract of their club legend Lionel Messi back in 2021. It led to the Argentine leaving Camp Nou for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).