Barcelona’s financial woes have thrown their season into disarray, with LaLiga confirming the Catalan club will miss the deadline to register Dani Olmo for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.
This development has sparked uncertainty over the Spain international’s future at the club.
26-year-old Olmo joined Barça from RB Leipzig in the summer for €60 million but was granted only a temporary registration until December 31 due to the club’s struggles to meet LaLiga’s stringent financial fair play (FFP) rules.
Despite intense efforts, Barcelona has failed to secure a permanent registration for the forward.
LaLiga’s Verdict
LaLiga issued a statement confirming that Barça had not provided sufficient guarantees in to register Olmo or Pau Victor, another player in a similar predicament.
“As of Dec. 31, Barcelona have not presented any alternative, in accordance with LaLiga’s economic rules, that allow the registration of players from Jan. 2,” the league stated.
Barça countered with their own statement, requesting intervention from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to grant new licenses for Olmo and Victor.
However, RFEF rules prohibit players from being re-registered with the same team for a second time in one season.
Financial Maneuvering Falls Short
Barcelona had pursued various options to meet LaLiga’s FFP requirements, including selling VIP boxes and premium seating at the under-renovation Spotify Camp Nou.
Reports suggest the deal could have been worth €100 million.
However, LaLiga’s rejection implies issues with the documentation, proof of payment, or the league simply not accepting the arrangement.
This isn’t the first time Barça has faced FFP hurdles.
In 2023, they successfully registered Gavi through a legal route, but two recent court hearings challenging LaLiga’s interpretation of the rules regarding Olmo and Victor ended in failure.
Uncertain Futures
Olmo’s agent, Andy Bara, remains adamant that the forward is committed to Barcelona despite speculation linking him to English and German clubs:
“The decision made by Dani is to stay at Barcelona as he wants to play for Barça. We are not considering any other option.”
However, a clause in Olmo’s contract allows him to leave for free if he is not registered for the second half of the season.
While both the player and the club have dismissed the possibility, sources reports that clubs are monitoring the situation closely.
Temporary Registration Explained
Olmo’s temporary registration was facilitated by LaLiga’s injury-replacement rule.
An Achilles injury to Andreas Christensen freed up enough room under Barça’s spending cap to temporarily accommodate Olmo.
However, the arrangement expired on December 31, leaving the player in limbo.
All Spanish clubs are bound by spending caps, which are determined by revenue minus non-sporting expenses and debt repayments.
Despite raising their cap to €426 million, Barça remains above this limit, restricting their ability to register players.
Olmo’s Contributions and the Road Ahead
Olmo, a product of Barça’s famed La Masia academy, has been a key player since returning to the club, scoring six goals in 15 appearances this season.
Losing him mid-season would be a massive blow for Barcelona, both on and off the pitch.
The club is expected to make another appeal to the RFEF on January 3, seeking a resolution to the crisis. Until then, the futures of Olmo and Victor hang in the balance.
Potential January Exodus?
LaLiga sources have hinted that Barcelona may need to offload players to create space for new registrations.
Whether they can navigate these financial constraints and keep hold of their key signings remains to be seen.
As Barcelona grapples with these challenges, the broader question looms: how long can they continue operating under such financial strain before their ambitions—and their squad—begin to crumble?
