After the rudeness of Libero, a German investment fund that did not pay the 40 million in the summer for 10 percent of Barça Vision, Barcelona is urgently looking for new income before June 30. The low salary margin does not even allow the club to register the contracts of Vitor Roque - who is currently playing thanks to the absence of the injured Gavi - or that of Iñigo Martínez, who could only be registered for this season although he signed with Barça until 2025. These new income are also necessary to register the new coach and his coaching staff if, as everything seems to indicate, Xavi Hernández maintains his idea of leaving the Barcelona bench free when the current season ends.
“If they do not sell or generate income, they will not reach the 1-1 standard (being able to invest the same amount in signings that they achieve with sales). If that money from Libero or whoever arrives in June, it will be welcome for Barça,” warned LaLiga president Javier Tebas. Optimism is moderate in Barcelona. And Deco, who knows that the next coach will need a sporting project that does not weaken, has clung to the philosophy of “little virgin let me stay as I am.” For this reason, the sports director works on a first plan where the main objective is not to sell key players, renew players like Araújo, extend the loans of Cancelo and João Félix and protect young people like Cubarsí.
If new income does not arrive, the sports leadership does not rule out studying offers for at least two players, although always maintaining the backbone of the team. Names like Brazilian winger Raphinha, with a contract until 2027, or central defender converted to pivot Christensen (2026) are on the table. To a lesser extent, defender Koundé also appears on the transfer list, with a contract until 2027. As for De Jong, who renewed until 2026 after deferring his salary in Bartomeu's last year, it is not ruled out to offer him the renewal but with some considerably reduced economic conditions. Of course Deco and the sports leadership know that all these players, with their current contracts in hand, have the last word. At the same time, the case of Ronald Araújo is going on. Teams like Bayern Munich have already expressed their interest in the center back, who has a contract with Barça until 2026. 20 days ago, Deco told his agents, Edoardo Crnjar and Edmundo Kabchi, that his intention is to renew the center back. .
But above all, it also seeks to improve the economic conditions of young people like Pau Cubarsí, whose market value, according to the specialized portal Transfermarkt, has skyrocketed. If before his stellar appearance with the first team the 17-year-old central defender had a valuation of 1.5 million, now it is already 25. Cubarsí, with a youth contract at Barça until 2026, already has a proposal on the table in which, beyond improving its conditions, work is being done so that the agreement, which will have a clause of 1,000 million euros, includes a commitment to extend the link until 2030, as already happened with Lamine Yamal. According to Transfermarkt, the 17-year-old winger is already worth 75 million euros. 15 million more than at the beginning of this course. In fact, Barça's youth players are the only ones who have revalued themselves. Fermín's market value, renewed until 2026, has gone from 7 to 15 million. That of goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, from 4 to 8 million. And the price of the still youthful Marc Guiu and Héctor Fort goes from 5 to 7.5 million.
It will not be enough for Barça to pay the 40 million euros pending from Libero. In both the summer of 2024 and 2025, the club has to obtain two additional payments of 60 million to reach the 120 signed by Barça Vision. On the sidelines, Laporta and his team will have to continue facing the costs of the 18 million euro guarantee that they contributed to LaLiga last summer in order to be able to register with his due joint interests. Following the departure of economic vice president Eduard Romeu, the costs of the guarantee have been redistributed, causing some uncertainty.
