June 23, (THEWILL) – Toni Freixa, a former member of the Barcelona board and presidential candidate, has openly questioned the club’s capacity to sign its top transfer targets this summer, given the club’s continuous dire financial situation.
The COVID-19 outbreak made Barça’s severe financial struggles over the past several years much worse and despite being strongly connected with several pricey new acquisitions, they were forced to let Lionel Messi leave last year because they could not afford to offer him a new deal.
A deal for Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Raphinha, or Bernardo Silva this summer may also be beyond the means of the club, according to Freixa, who stood for president in 2015, against Josep Maria Bartomeu and against Joan Laporta in 2016.
This is consistent with the assertion made earlier this month by Barca’s financial director, Eduard Romeu, who painted a dire picture of the Catalan team’s financial situation when he acknowledged it will take a €500 million cash infusion to address the club’s current asset imbalance in the face of significant debt.
Camp Nou, the club’s traditional home stadium, is currently undergoing renovation as part of an ongoing project and work is expected to last until 2025. The first team has agreed to temporarily relocate to the Lluis Company’s Olympic Stadium during the 2023/2024 season and will improve the facilities there.
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.
