Barcelona's salary limit cut from 649 million to 270 million
Barcelona have experienced a significant drop in its Salary Cost Limit (LCPD), the amount of money it can allocate to sports salaries as determined by LaLiga's financial control. From the €649 million it had available after the last winter transfer market, the club presided over by Joan Laporta now has only €270 million. This represents a decrease of €379 million, placing Barcelona in third position in the league, behind Real Madrid (€727.4 million) and Atlético de Madrid (€296.3 million), according to data released by LaLiga, presided over by Javier Tebas.
How did this happen? In essence, it's simpler and less contradictory than it may seem. Last summer, Barcelona sold assets worth €700 million, which were counted as direct income when calculating its salary limit. Subsequently, LaLiga, after noting the misuse of this tool, imposed limits on these so-called 'levers.'
This summer, Barcelona suffered the unusual and poorly explained non-payment of €60 million that had already been committed. This amount was directly subtracted from its registration capacity and was not entirely compensated, as the "re-leveraging," meaning the resale of these unpaid assets, did not occur before August 31, even though it had previously been announced that it would.
All of these factors explain the sharp drop in Barcelona's salary limit to €270 million. Of course, the club's salary expenditure exceeds this figure. The ability to sign new players has been possible because they utilized the rule that allows a percentage of freed-up expenses to be allocated to new signings.
Reduction in wage bill
According to information published a few days ago by Efe, which had access to the club's accounts, Barcelona reduced the wage bill of its first team by €161.7 million this summer, dropping from €566.4 million to €404.7 million by the end of the transfer window. The departures of high-salaried players such as Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Ousmane Dembélé contribute to explaining this significant savings for the club presided over by Joan Laporta.
Six months ago, Barcelona was only €35 million away from Real Madrid's salary cap (which could have been increased if needed). Now, the club has reduced its economic maneuvering margin to €457.4 million behind Real Madrid.
Behind the three big Spanish football clubs, four other teams have salary caps exceeding €100 million: Sevilla (€168 million), Villarreal (€143 million), Real Sociedad (€124 million), and Athletic (€100 million). It's essential to remember that this does not mean these are the actual wage bills of the clubs but rather the limit on salaries they can afford without having to resort to savings in the form of player transfers or free departures.
The drop in Barcelona's salary cap has resulted in LaLiga as a whole losing €459 million in total salary limits. Other clubs with reductions include Athletic (€27 million), Sevilla (€22 million), Atlético (€19 million), and Betis (€10 million). Real Madrid, on the other hand, has increased its margin by €44 million.
