Financially troubled Barcelona are staring down the barrel of potentially losing as many as TEN academy talents in the upcoming summer transfer window. The club's commendable debut season under Hansi Flick has been largely powered by La Masia graduates such as Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado, Gavi and Lamine Yamal.
These young guns, two of whom are still in their teens, have propelled Barcelona to the front of the pack in this season's LaLiga title chase, a semi-final berth in the Copa del Rey, and a spot among the favourites for Champions League glory. However, the bedrock of the club's future could be pulled out from under them if their financial woes persist.
The much-anticipated move to the revamped Camp Nou has hit several snags, causing the club - who've hosted their men's first-team fixtures at the city's Olympic Stadium since August 2023 - to miss out on crucial revenue, having already sold VIP seats. Club President Joan Laporta has also pulled various strings to unlock extra funds during his four-year tenure, including selling off the club's TV rights.
Yet, Barca consistently run into issues when it comes to registering players, leading to the contentious situation surrounding £50million summer recruit Dani Olmo, who was temporarily banned from playing matches in January. LaLiga bosses initially declared that Olmo and young forward Pau Victor couldn't be registered until the summer due to Barcelona exceeding the league's salary cap.
Barcelona have been granted a temporary reprieve as Spain's supreme sports council has allowed the two players to continue playing until April 7. However, another issue looms large on the horizon, reports the Mirror.
As reported by Catalan publication Sport, Barcelona may be forced to sell up to 10 players from their current under-19 squad come summer. The majority of these promising youngsters' contracts are set to expire on June 30, and they could potentially depart without any transfer fee.
Captain Arnau Pradas, forward Hugo Alba, and winger Jan Virgili are among those identified by Flick as potential future first-team stars. However, clubs from the Premier League including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are monitoring the situation, ready to take advantage of Barcelona's financial predicament.
The situation could become even more complex if Laporta and his team decide to make a high-profile signing this summer. Newcastle's star player Alexander Isak has been linked with a move back to Spain, following his successful stint at Real Sociedad prior to his £63million transfer to St James' Park in 2022.
Swedish international Isak is being touted as a possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski as the team's leading striker. Despite topping the LaLiga scoring charts and netting 35 goals in all competitions, Lewandowski will be turning 37 in August.
Flick's team reclaimed the top spot in LaLiga on Sunday via goal difference after a thrilling victory over title contenders Atletico Madrid. Barcelona triumphed 4-2 in Madrid, thanks to second-half strikes from Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Yamal.