Amidst speculation about the fate of Barcelona’s new signings, the uncertainty has now been put to rest. The Spanish side have been able to register four out of their five new acquisitions this summer, with Jules Kounde being the only one to not be registered in time.
The Catalonians activated their fourth financial lever in order to register their new players. As part of the lever, 25% of Barca Studios were sold to raise money and make the new players eligible to play in La Liga.
Barcelona finalising squad ahead of new season
Samuel Umtiti and Martin Braithwaite have not been given a shirt number ahead of the new season. The two players are not expected to play a part in Xavi’s plans, and are expected to leave. But, no deal is in place for their departure as of yet.
Frenkie De Jong could yet leave the club this summer, which would free up a significant amount on the wage bill. The Dutchman is refusing to take a pay cut to stay at Barcelona. As a result, registering Kounde has proved very difficult with his wages over €400,000 per week proving to be difficult to accomodate.
The departure of the midfielder could facilitate his registration sooner than later. But, either one of Manchester United or Chelsea will need to agree terms with the club and the player for the transfer.