LaLiga refuse to register Lewandowski and Raphina as Barca break spending cap

August 8 - Debt-ridden FC Barcelona have suffered a pre-season blow after being prevented by LaLiga from registering their five summer signings ahead of the new Spanish season.

For weeks Barca have defied the financial logic of football by embarking on a spending spree of over €150m despite their crippling debts, baffling pundits.

They managed to do this by apparently selling a stake in their La Liga television rights for the next 25 years to US private equity firm Sixth Street, while the club also offloaded 25% from Barca Studio , which manages the digital output of Barcelona

The two deals would have raised 767 million euros, but Barca have nonetheless been told that their five stellar signings - Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen and Raphinha - cannot be registered unless that they do not further reduce their financial expenditure. and pulling a fourth so-called "economic lever".

Two players who recently renewed expired contracts - Ousmane Dembélé and Sergi Roberto - also cannot be registered under LaLiga financial rules.

Manager Xavi ideally wants all seven players to be available for the start of the league on August 13 and club chairman Joan Laporta has pledged to try to generate considerable revenue by then, with the sale of additional stake in Barca Studios. be an option

Player sales are the other way to raise funds and reduce salary expenses to comply with LaLiga's financial control rules. Frenkie De Jong, coveted by Chelsea and Manchester United, is Barca's most salable asset. His sale could yield up to 85 million euros in revenue while the departure of Memphis Depay would bring the total to more than 100 million euros.

Laporta will have to work fast as Barca start their new season against Rayo Vallecano next Saturday.

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