'Operation cutback' starting at Barca to try and help Xavi reinforce

Barça president Joan Laporta is ready to make Xavi Hernandez happy next summer. The team is on its way to winning the domestic treble, but needs to be strengthened to be competitive in Europe again. Laporta has already announced that they are looking for a full-back, a centre-back and a striker. In addition, Xavi wants a midfielder, with German midfielder Gündogan among his preferences.

Barça want to sign in the next summer transfer window, knowing that before that they will have to register the new contracts of the players they have renewed. This is the case of Gavi, Araujo, Sergi Roberto and Marcos Alonso, to which can be added those of Busquets and Balde.

All this must be done without being able to use other leverage, so the club has initiated 'Operation Rebate', with the aim of achieving the financial fair play level that will allow it to undertake all these operations.

Barça's current salary limit is 648 million euros and they are aware at the club that they must reduce the wage bill, as the president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has reiterated, by 200 million. The aim is to leave it at 450, something they had planned for 2024, but they are obliged to bring it forward a year to have an even more competitive squad. In addition, they must do it before July to avoid problems with players who have renewed a player who has not yet been registered.

That is why the club has decided that drastic measures must be taken. To begin with, an audit report has been commissioned in all areas of the club and in all professional teams, being clear that the reductions will affect all teams. In fact, the basketball team already knows it will be affected.

The reduction in the wage bill, in any case, must come, for the most part, from the first football team and will be sought in different ways. For example, it is not ruled out that agreed departures will be sought for any player with a valid contract. This could be the case of Jordi Alba, who has become a substitute and who next year will cost the club around 38 million euros between his contract and the amounts owed to him for what he deferred back in the early pandemic days.

Barça are also aware that they will have to sell some important players. One of those who might leave is Ansu Fati, who his agent, Jorge Mendes, is offering him around Europe. And they will also be looking to renegotiate contracts. In this sense, the sporting directors could look at players such as Frenkie de Jong and Mar-André Ter Stegen.