Barcelona are in dire financial straits.
Football fans around the world have been acutely aware of the economic problems that have been brewing at Camp Nou for quite some time now, culminating in the exit of Lionel Messi against their wishes last summer.
However, amongst all the indications of Barcelona's strife, everyone has been left bewildered that they have continued to fly in the face of it all by making serious moves in the summer transfer window.
Barcelona's heavy spending
Like, seriously, the Blaugrana have not only been one of the most active clubs this summer, but they've also been amongst the biggest spenders despite everything points towards them not being able to afford it.
And alas, it seems as though the Catalan giants once again have their backs against the wall in their efforts to actually register the players that they've spent the last few months attracting to the club.
Naturally, supporters have just assumed that Barca will find a way as they did last summer with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, but they received a crushing blow to their attempts on Friday.
Soccer Football - FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta unveils the new jersey - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - June 15, 2021 General view as FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta speaks at a presentation for the new FC Barcelona jersey REUTERS/Albert Gea
La Liga reject Barcelona's new signings
As reported by Colin Millar of the Mirror, La Liga have rejected attempts by Barcelona to register five new signings: Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen.
They have also been unable to register Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto, due to the fact that they have signed contract renewals since the end of the last season, just eight days ahead of the league commencing.
The report goes on to explain: "Barca’s attempts to register their new contractual arrives failed on Friday – with La Liga blocking their attempts to log the deals on their system."
The news could have huge implications for the Frenkie de Jong saga, which has seen the Dutch midfielder - said to be the highest-paid player at Barca - constantly linked with Manchester United and Chelsea.
Barca simply must free up funds in order to register their new signings and selling current squad members could well help their cause, particularly as De Jong is currently valued at £54.00 million.
Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League - Group D - Netherlands v Wales - Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam, Netherlands - June 14, 2022 Netherlands' Frenkie de Jong during the warm up REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw
Meanwhile, the likes of Memphis Depay, Martin Braithwaite, Miralem Pjanic and Samuel Umtiti have also been linked with an exit in what could be a crucial few days for the club's attempts to balance their books.
After all, Barcelona kick off their attempts to regain the La Liga title after three years of Madrid dominance in just eight days' time as they host Rayo Vallecano on the opening weekend of the season.
Barcelona's economic levers
The worrying thing is that Barca have already gone to drastic lengths in order to remedy their financial situation by selling 25% of its TV rights to Sixth Street and a 25% stake in Barça Studio to socios.com.
The report explains that the club hoped to register their new players courtesy of the €767 million raised from these transactions, but that these efforts have hitherto been insufficient.
And while club president Joan Laporta is purportedly already preparing to sell another 24.5% of Barça Studios, it is explained that player sales will still be necessary on the balance sheet as they try to drive the wage bill down.
Laporta explained to fans during Lewandowski's presentation this week: "We have worked to enrol all of them [the new signings]. We have worked hard and productively, in order to meet the requirements.
Soccer Football - FC Barcelona unveil Robert Lewandowski - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - August 5, 2022 New FC Barcelona player Robert Lewandowski with President Joan Laporta during a press conference REUTERS/Albert Gea
"And if it is necessary to carry out any more operations, we will do it. We are waiting. It is a decision that La Liga must make. We have complied with what it requires. We are confident that we will be able to register them."