Football Presse

Barcelona must sell to buy in January, says finance chief Olivé

·By Carlos Volcano
Share
Barcelona must sell to buy in January, says finance chief Olivé

Barcelona/X.com

Barcelona would need to sell before buying in January, according to economic vice-president Ferran Olivé, who also revealed booming revenue projections for the new Camp Nou.

Barcelona are hopeful of avoiding the January transfer market altogether, with Hansi Flick's side unbeaten in eight games this season and every position covered in depth.

Even if reinforcements become necessary, the club would first need to sell before it could buy, according to economic vice-president Ferran Olivé, who addressed the club's finances on the television programme Què t'hi jugues!

Barcelona will have a positive financial fair play balance for the January window, but Olivé said that alone will not open the door to major signings: "We would have to sell to be able to sign.

"The 1:1 rule means that for one player to come in, another must go out. There is a surplus, but it's very small, three to four million."

He joked that even Julián Álvarez's salary would not fit within that margin. Olivé also said the club is already drafting next season's budget, with president Joan Laporta's board aiming to restore neutral net worth by 2030, having spent five years working back from a negative fair play position to the current 1:1 balance.

"For the first team to function, you have to provide the tools. It's about winning. When we arrived, we were running on empty. We had negative financial fair play. It took us five years to reach 1:1. It hasn't been easy.

"What worries me, my number one priority, is finishing the Spotify Camp Nou. With the stadium finished and the team performing, sponsorship revenue will increase and we'll sell more in the shops. It's a circle. That's why we're asking members to raise the financing limit, because it's the cornerstone of the project."

Olivé revealed that projections for the rebuilt stadium have improved considerably since the project began, largely thanks to stronger than expected demand for VIP seating.

"When the study was done, when the investors came in, it was calculated that we would get around 350-375 million in revenue. We thought we would have more difficulty selling the VIP seats, but they are practically sold out already. The success has been huge. It's estimated that revenue will be in the range of 425-450 million."