FC Barcelona have exceeded their salary cap since the summer of 2021. For five consecutive seasons, the club have been unable to register players under normal conditions.
It has forced them to generate more income than expenditure in transfers and rely on asset sales, the ‘economic levers’, to create extraordinary revenue.
This summer, however, Barcelona have a chance to return to normality if they meet a series of financial objectives before the end of the season.
To return to the 1:1 Financial Fair Play rule imposed by La Liga, Barcelona must meet four key conditions, reports Adria Soldevila of Cadena SER.
Firstly, Barcelona must secure the remaining €32 million from the sale of VIP seats at Camp Nou.
Around 18 months ago, the club sold 475 VIP seats for a total of €100 million to two companies: Forta Advisors, which paid €30 million and New Era Visionary Group, which committed €70 million.
While Forta completed its payment in January 2025, New Era has so far paid only €38 million and is working on reselling its share to third parties. Securing the remaining €32 million is essential for this season’s financial accounts.
Last season, Barcelona closed with losses of €17 million. This cannot happen again.
By 30 June, the club must post a profit, as initially projected in their budget. This is necessary to prevent further restrictions under Financial Fair Play regulations.
Barcelona confident of returning to the 1:1 Fair Play rule. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
To reduce the gap between the wage bill and the salary cap limit granted by La Liga, Barcelona must sell at least one player. It does not need to be a key starter, but they must generate income from a player who is not central to Hansi Flick’s plans.
One example is Ansu Fati, who is open to staying at his current loan club, AS Monaco. The Principality outfit holds a purchase option worth €11 million, a figure that would help Barcelona meet this requirement.
Finally, Barcelona must present a realistic and profitable budget for the 2026/27 season that can be approved by La Liga without concerns. This means avoiding reliance on extraordinary income and ensuring financial sustainability.
If these four objectives are met, Barcelona will move closer to resolving their salary cap issues and regaining full flexibility in the transfer market.
Regardless of their situation, the Catalans remain confident that they will be able to make at least one significant signing in the summer.