August 11, (THEWILL) – If Barcelona does not register Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie with the League before their La Liga opening game against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, they may both become free agents and could be allowed to leave the Catalan side.
As THEWILL previously reported, Christensen and Kessie joined Barca on free transfers after leaving Chelsea and AC Milan, respectively, at the conclusion of the previous campaign. However, neither has been formally registered with La Liga due to the club’s ongoing, widely reported financial issues.
Barca still needs to take place under their severe pay cap, which is an unsettling recent ritual that also resulted in the forced and shocking departure of the Catalan club icon Lionel Messi to Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
La Liga enforces limits to ensure that teams do not spend more on player salaries than they can afford, which is effectively club revenue minus other operational expenses and debt obligations. These limitations have regularly reduced Barca’s ability to spend.
Without cost-cutting measures or new sources of income, Barca will not be able to register the contracts reached with Christensen or Kessie. If they are left unregistered, either player would be free to go. Jules Kounde, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski have not had their deals filed with La Liga either, but because they were not free agents when they arrived, they do not have the same ability to depart. Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele’s new contracts with Barça have not yet been recorded either.
The €600 million revenue generated this summer by selling off sizable stakes in the potential earnings from domestic television rights and in-house media, less the €150 million in expenses, is insufficient to effect the registration. Further player sales, especially of Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, may help.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
