Barcelona were always likely to be over their salary limit this season, as they foot the bill for the sale of their assets the previous year.
The €667m sale of TV rights and various assets boosted Barcelona’s income for last season and allowed them to spend within the salary limit much more than would have been the case, but as they continue to pay off the cost of the delayed Covid-19 costs, and now revert to their income without those sales, their salary limit has dramatically dropped.
Last season it was at around €649m, but this year Barcelona can only spend €270m before they face restrictions on what they can register. Relevo say that the previously reported figure of €404m as their actual wage bill, leaving them €134m over their limit, is in fact, far higher.
La Liga’s rules take into account not only the football-related wage bill, but the club-related wage bill, thus including numerous other sports at Barcelona. According their information, the wage bill of the other sports amounts to €90m, meaning their actual wage bill is €494m. This would leave them €224m over budget.
The Blaugrana are aiming to be back within their salary limit for next season, which would allow them to spend as much as they save or bring in as normal. However that will mean closing the gap between their income and their outgoings, and with not much room to make major sales without weakening their squad, Barcelona do not have obvious methods of making up that gap. That said, it is not clear how much of their costs this season are attributed to Covid-19.
