Red Alert: Barcelona need Operation Exit to get started urgently

To sign players Barcelona first need to move others on. They won't know how much money they will have until they solve the salary limit, so the focus is on Operation Exit. Because it's urgent. The situation is starting to become alarming because not many players have shown a desire to leave and because there is an 'overbooking' in the squad.

Barça want to get rid of players who are not in Xavi Hernandez's plans. The first and main reason is to comply with Fair Play rules in Spain and the need to reduce the wage bill. As the vice president for finance, Eduard Romeu, said, Barça's wage bill, including amortisation payments, is 560 million euros -- Real Madrid's is 400 million and Bayern Munich's is 300 million. Barça want to get down to Madrid's level. And that depends on sales and wage cuts, the latter being more difficult because players are not keen.

Moving on the unwanted squad members is also essential to make room for new signings. Two are closed -- Kessie and Christensen -- and others are on track but the salary limit needs fixing first. Barça do not plan to make formal offers to the clubs until there are definitive agreements in that sense that they can fulfill.

And, of course, the big objective of Operation Exit is to bring in cash that allows Barça more resources in the transfer market. However, they are also realistic and know that most outgoings are likely to be loans due to the high salaries players are earning.