Barcelona have accrued an alarming transfer debt of €159million (£138m), the club's latest financial report has revealed.
The LaLiga giants shared their financial results to The Members' Assembly on Monday — and the economic crisis that has plagued the club over the past few years is showing no sign of easing.
Although shareholders approved Barcelona's report and new budget, a staggering £138m debt in transfer fees was revealed to raise huge question marks over the long-term sustainability of the club.
To make matters more concerning, the Catalans must pay €140m (£121m) of that sum by the end of this season to stay afloat, a significant increase from the €45m (£39m) due under the same category last term.
A large proportion of Barcelona's transfer debt is made up of unpaid fees from three big-money signings the club made in the summer of 2022.
The Spanish giants splashed out a combined €150m (£130m) on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde during the profligate transfer window and have paid back less than half of that amount three years on.
According to Barcelona's recent report, the club still owe €42m (£36.5m) of Raphinha's transfer from Leeds, €25m (£22m) of Kounde's move from Sevilla and €10m (£8.5m) of Lewandowski's signing from Bayern Munich.
Barcelona also must pay €18m (£15.5m) to RB Leipzig as part of Dani Olmo's move to the Nou Camp in 2024 and €13.5m (£12m) to Manchester City for Ferran Torres.
Perhaps what is even more alarming is that the crisis is being affected by transfers made for players no longer at the football club.
Despite selling Vitor Roque to Palmeiras for €25m (£22m) in 2024, Barcelona still owe Athletico Paranaense €17m (£15m) of the fee they paid to lure him from the Brazilian outfit back in 2022.
It is understood the delay to Barcelona's new stadium — the iconic Spotify Nou Camp — has significantly weakened the club's finances over the last few years.
The Spanish giants had hoped to reopen the revamped stadium in time for the first match of the new campaign, but persistent delays have forced the club to play matches away from their home ground.
As a result, matchday revenue has plummeted to worsen Barcelona's financial crisis.
At the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year, club president Joan Laporta used 'economic levers' to bail the club out of €17m (£15m) loss — and the 63-year-old chief remains confident that Barcelona are making progress despite the latest report.
'We are much better off than we were four and a half years ago,' Laporta said.
'Some of the statements surprise me – everything can be improved. But today we are much better off than when we arrived.'
Aboika
0
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Aboika
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Believersministry1
1
I see people here saying Laporta should resign. this man has twice put his personal money on the line for the Club, what have you guys done? the man is trying to clean up the mess he met on the ground
Useless fans
Barca99Arg
1
The cloud need to sell to Saudi 🇸🇦 investors, since that long time we been wining trophies 🏆 but the books is not yet balancing. We can not sign players, we can not complete our stadium 🏟️. The board is deceiving us. Laborta should resign from his role
And you will bring Bartomeu back right!! learn to appreciate good efforts by people in offices, you will equally be appreciated some day. Barcelona is doing well regardless of the crisis financially; even won a domestic treble last season and still you appreciate?? what wrongs would point out at the moment? Do you understand the value of the decision to let go of the Greatest player of all time (Messi) just to save the status of the club? Appreciate good tidings guys; we shouldn't behave like Eibar fans!!!
penaeirs
6
I see people here saying Laporta should resign. this man has twice put his personal money on the line for the Club, what have you guys done? the man is trying to clean up the mess he met on the ground
LESLIE167
0
Barcelona will never die, a big investor will probably come though it will never happen and it will be the giant it deserves to be
Welll spoken chief 🙌🏾
Habeeby
2
send Olmo back to that dungeon,,we are not paying a dime over that scam
douceilpty
3
The cloud need to sell to Saudi 🇸🇦 investors, since that long time we been wining trophies 🏆 but the books is not yet balancing. We can not sign players, we can not complete our stadium 🏟️. The board is deceiving us. Laborta should resign from his role
Hritangshu93
3
Olmo's signing was a total waste of money...... Ferran has somewhat regained his confidence in his new position..... let's see how long he can keep up
mirin
2
any time Barcelona is going up or doing well....or they see that there is breakthrough coming the enemy will saved them breakfast....no matter what we are going higher...vosca barca
MaxBrendan
4
Barcelona will never die, a big investor will probably come though it will never happen and it will be the giant it deserves to be
Anuolu190
3
They only use player from la masia , but they are paying debt for the player they bought 😹 Only Barca fans will argue with you that they are not broke but their boards are accepting the fact 😹💔
MusahTamimudaari
0
Laporta hasnt done well at all, he should step down for competent people who can oversee the success of the club. He hasn’t been deceiving us all along. He can’t get the stadium completed n after all these signings he still can’t find money to pay
reydiort
0
They should just sell the club, period
Nenadiopty
0
made in la masia and still paying debt for the players they bought 🤣🤣😂 is this not a stupidity 😂 unlike Madrid, we buy and pay we don't have to pay debt 🤣🤣😂
fiyekmnpu
2
Better off my foot U are deep down in debt. And it's worsening as no tickets revenue is forthcoming. U guys better sell Barca to Chelsea💰💷💸
Jattfanmessida
4
Once only once gives us a news that Barca found 1 billion gold under the ground tunnel of Camp Nou that founders hid for bad time, Debt news are like daily basis.Bartomeu did this to is