Barcelona announced the signings of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen earlier this week.

The duo have joined the club on free transfers from AC Milan and Chelsea respectively.

It's great business from Barca. They have got two highly talented players without having to pay a penny.

However, there's a major problem.

Barca have already reduced their wage bill significantly this summer having let numerous players leave, including Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, Dani Alves and Adama Traore.

But they are still well over La Liga's wage cap, meaning they cannot register Kessie and Christensen in their squad, according to Cope.

They will need to offload even more players if they want to register their new signings.

But that is proving difficult for Barca.

Barcelona's squad
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 24: FC Barcelona Coach Xavi Hernandez speaks to his team during an FC Barcelona training session at Accor Stadium on May 24, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 24: FC Barcelona Coach Xavi Hernandez speaks to his team during an FC Barcelona training session at Accor Stadium on May 24, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

One player that they are believed to want to get rid of is Martin Braithwaite.

According to Sport, Xavi does not have a place for the Dane in his squad. However, Braithwaite is determined to stay in Catalonia as he believes playing for Barca is a great opportunity.

The issue of deferred payments is also making it difficult to offload players.

According to the Telegraph, Barca owe Frenkie de Jong £17m in deferred wages, an issue which is holding up his £55m move to Manchester United.

They also owe other members of their squad millions of pounds in deferred wages. According to journalist Gerard Romero, per the Daily Star, Gerard Pique is owed a mammoth £42.5m in wages.

Barcelona manager, Xavi
BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 18: Xavi Hernandez, Head Coach of FC Barcelona looks on prior to the LaLiga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Cadiz CF at Camp Nou on April 18, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 18: Xavi Hernandez, Head Coach of FC Barcelona looks on prior to the LaLiga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Cadiz CF at Camp Nou on April 18, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

While they are finding it difficult to raise the funds needed to sign Robert Lewandowski, who wants out from Bayern Munich and is believed to desire a move to Barca this summer.

Barca have been doing everything they can to raise funds in the past year. Fans can even play at the Camp Nou for a fee.

But they are still in a real mess. According to ESPN, their debt stands at nearly €800m, with more than €310m due in the next 12 months.

Barca's financial problems have been well documented in recent times and it continues to be a huge problem.

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