Barcelona have taken no prisoners in the summer transfer window.

Despite having been the butt of many a joke in world football over the last few years, the Blaugrana have left fans scratching their head by continuing to splash the cash on top-class signings.

It's the sport's worst-kept secret that Barcelona are in dire financial straits right now with their situation becoming so untenable last summer that they were forced to part ways with Lionel Messi.

Barcelona's financial woes

Many reports would have you believe that a similar scenario might be unfolding with Frenkie de Jong as we speak, while the likes of Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets have all taken pay cuts.

Years upon years of misguided big-money buys for players like Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann have contributed to damning circumstances in which the very future of Futbol Club Barcelona is being speculated about.

And with all of this unfolding within the strict financial rules of La Liga, it seems absolutely mind-boggling that the Catalan giants are still able to throw their weight around in the transfer market.

How can Barcelona make these transfers?

Like, seriously, it's not for no reason that thousands upon thousands of football fans are straight up baffled that Barcelona seem to be simultaneously splashing the cash on big new signings and completely on their knees financially.

After all, Barca are said to have spent an initial £49 million to sign Raphinha from Leeds United and have just confirmed the capture of Robert Lewandowski to the tune of £38 million.

All this for a club that already has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Memphis Depay, Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres to call upon in their attacking ranks.

And while the arrivals of Franck Kessié and Andreas Christensen might well have been on free transfers, their moves must nevertheless tip Barcelona's wage scales further into red, right?

Soccer Football - La Liga - FC Barcelona unveil Franck Kessie - Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Barcelona, Spain - July 6, 2022 New FC Barcelona player Franck Kessie during a press conference REUTERS/Albert Gea

Well, fear not, ladies and gentlemen, because although we don't profess to be financial experts who can answer these most understandable of questions, we do happen to know a fantastic resource that can step up to the plate.

Expert Twitter thread explains all

The infinitely-revered Twitter account @SwissRamble knows everything there is to know about footballing economics, regularly producing threads that elucidate key financial questions within the sport.

And few come bigger than the ever-evolving, ever-confusing situation at Barcelona, so we shouldn't be surprised that they have once again stepped in and provided the likes of you and I with all the key answers.

Compiling a fascinating breakdown of the situation and bagging over 33,000 'likes' for their troubles, the way in which Barcelona are able to make these major signings while keeping their head above water is laid bare for the world.

Be sure to check out the full thread by clicking on the link here, but you can also keep scrolling to see the highlights of the analysis as we walk through an overview of what on earth is going on at Barcelona.

Now, if certain pieces of jargon went over your head and you needed to reread some of the tweets about three times, then don't worry because it's by no means an easy topic to comprehend.

Barcelona playing a risky game

Nevertheless, having said that, the moral of the story is that Barcelona are using various 'levers' and 'tactics' to financially stretch, strain and manoeuvre themselves into a position where they can keep pulling off these transfers.

The result is a gamble of sorts where the Blaugrana are hoping that continued investment in the quality of their playing staff helps to spur them on to triumphs that will, in turn, bolster their financial situation.

Now, to say that's an oversimplification would be the mother of all understatements, so do be sure to unpack the full thread at your leisure, but there's no denying that Barcelona are walking a very fine line with their finances right now.

Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona unveil Raphinha - Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Barcelona, Spain - July 15, 2022 FC Barcelona new player Raphinha poses for a picture during the unveiling REUTERS/Albert Gea

We can only hope and pray that the speculation about Barca's very existence is merely catastrophizing and that continuing to invest big in new players doesn't come back to bite them further down the line.