Barcelona sell TV rights again to raise funds – but club still can’t register Lewandowski & Co.
·5 min read
‘Gives us financial flexibility’
Barcelona’s attempts to balance the books rumbles on, as the club’s new signings, such as Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, continue to wait for their eligibility to take part in the forthcoming La Liga season. The Spanish giants announced on Friday morning that they had reached an agreement with investment company Sixth Street to sell 15 percent of their league broadcasting rights for the next 25 years for a reported figure of around €300 million. In a statement, Barca president Joan Laporta said: “We are pleased to have entered into this additional agreement with Sixth Street, which gives us great financial flexibility.”
This is the second deal the Catalan giants have made with the investment firm, having previously sold 10 percent of their broadcasting rights for €220m. However, according to reports in Spain, this new cash injection still won’t prove enough for Barca to balance the books and register all of their new players. The club are also reportedly considering a 49 percent sale in their production company “Barça Studios” or “BLM”, which overlooks all of the club’s merchandising, as well as profits from player sales in the summer transfer window.
Villa, Lewandowski & Neymar. – Barcelona’s record signings
Due to financial fair play rules that were put in place by the Spanish league, which sets a wage budget for each club based on their financial figures, Barca are currently unable to register their new players due to the club’s losses being too large. According to reports, further sales of top players such as Frenkie de Jong will be necessary, with the Netherlands international being linked with a move to Manchester United and Chelsea this summer. Should Barca sell the player this summer, they could save themselves around €90m in wages owed to the player between now and 2026.
However, it may not be as simple as Barca accepting an offer for the player. Even if De Jong did want to move to England – which remains in doubt – the Catalan giants would reportedly have to stump up a proportion of his salary that was deferred during the pandemic. As such, selling De Jong may force the club to come up with a sizable sum of money to pay the player before he eventually leaves the club.
Dybala, Haaland & Co. – The biggest done deals of the summer
Paulo Dybala | Juventus -> AS Roma | Market value: €35m
