Barcelona's Potential Financial Loss of $273 Million due to Olmo Transfer Dispute
FC Barcelona could potentially lose around $273 million (€263 million) due to the predicament surrounding Dani Olmo's registration or failure to register him, as reported by SPORT.
Barcelona received unfortunate news on New Year's Eve in Spain, with La Liga issuing a statement stating that it would not permit Olmo to be registered for the remainder of the 2024/2025 season as of now.
"La Liga communicates that, as of today, December 31, FC Barcelona has not proposed any alternative that, in accordance with La Liga's economic control regulations, would enable the club to register any player from January 2," the statement mentioned.
Individuals with an optimistic outlook believe that Barcelona can rectify the situation by January 3, but a sense of negativity prevails among the Culers and the surrounding community connected to the club.
At the moment, Olmo is technically a free agent. Although his agent Andy Bara informed Fabrizio Romano that Olmo intends to stay at Barcelona and is not contemplating any alternate options, the substantial amount of money that Barcelona would stand to lose if he eventually departs cannot be overlooked.
Firstly, Barcelona is obligated to pay $50 million (€48 million) for the remaining duration of his contract until 2030, even if Olmo is no longer part of the team.
Secondly, Barcelona still owes $57 million (€55 million) to his previous club RB Leipzig. Moreover, the potential non-existent transfer fee that the Catalans would also forego is an added inconvenience.
According to Transfermarkt, a German transfer market expert site, Olmo's current value is estimated at $62 million (€60 million).
Moreover, Barcelona sold its VIP boxes for the Spotify Camp Nou, which is yet to reopen due to renovations that are running behind schedule, for ($104 million) €100 million. However, it is believed that it could have been sold for a figure of $208 million (€200 million), meaning that an additional ($104 million) €100 million was missed out on.
Putting everything together, we're looking at a substantial sum of approximately $273 million (€263 million) that a financially strained club like Barcelona can hardly afford, creating a significant void in its financial accounts.
- Pau Victor, a football analyst, mentioned on his YouTube channel that Barcelona's potential loss due to Dani Olmo's registration issue could negatively impact Spain's chances in the Euro 2024 tournament, given Olmo's significant role in the national team.
- In a press conference, Joan Laporta, the president of FC Barcelona, acknowledged the club's predicament with Dani Olmo's registration and promised to explore all possible solutions to avoid the significant financial loss, emphasizing the importance of maintaining La Liga status for the club and the city of Barcelona.
- During a radio show, renowned Spanish football pundit Guillem Balague discussed the impact of the Dani Olmo situation on La Liga, stating that if Barcelona fails to register Olmo, it could set a harmful precedent for other clubs facing similar financial issues and potentially affect the overall competitiveness of La Liga in comparison to other European leagues like the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga.
