Victor Font opens the door to sales and rules out 'top' signings at Barça

Victor Font analysed Barcelona's delicate financial situation on Wednesday in a press conference at his election base. The candidate for the Barça presidency hinted that if he's elected, he's open to selling important players and also warned that, in the short-term, signings like Alaba and Haaland are impossible.

"We have an emergency plan that involved restructuring the wage bill," he said. "We have to be clear with the socios. We have to reduce the wage bill and that means changing players or the current players reducing their salaries. The sporting structure will determine the priorities and decide what players are indispensable and which players aren't key.

"In the coming months, we won't be able to make big investments in players. We're looking at the market for players that are out of contract and whose salaries are compatible with the club's situation."

On Barça's lack of liquidity, Font said he's know how serious the problem has been for a while.

"We've not been caught by surprise," he added. "We complained at the time that if Barça had to perform operations like the Cillessen-Neto swap it was a bad sign."

In addition to wage reductions, Font said the plan is to refinance the club's debt with the banks: "We can't be dramatic saying that Barça will disappear, but we can't play down the situation, either, because it's serious. We have a team capable of resolving it. The emergency plan is to refinance the debt in the short-term, we will ask for the banks' confidence. That will cost us a little more, but with the credibility of our team, it will be possible. The other measures are unpopular: restructuring the wage bill. But it has to be done.

"From next year, and the year after, we will start to generate revenue to tackle the debt and make signings. When the pandemic's having less of an affect, revenue will return, but we also have to look for new revenue. And above all, manage spending."

On March 7 elections, Font lamented how difficult it is for socios living outside of Spain to vote: "I am concerned that more than 3,000 socios live outside Spain and we take away their right to vote. It's true they could get on a plane in theory but it depends where they are, they're limited. In the most important elections in the club's history, we want everyone to vote."

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