Barcelona must reduce wage bill next season, says LaLiga president Tebas

Barcelona will need to reduce their wage bill next term, says LaLiga president Javier Tebas, as the club do not have the income in order to match their pay packets.

The Blaugrana have famously been in financial turmoil over recent seasons, yet have been able to conduct high-priced transfer dealings through the activation of financial “levers” and risky strategies.

These have been born out of selling off crucial non-playing assets, helping to secure moves for Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha ahead of the new campaign amongst others.

But Tebas and league corporate general manager Javier Gomez say Xavi’s team will need to cut their cloth, while defending the league’s actions that have seen them seemingly over-accommodate the club’s needs.

“Barca have to reduce the wage bill,” the former stated. “Next year, there will be no levers and they will have to reduce the salary that may correspond to them.

“They could make more levers, but I don’t think [they can or will]. We’ll see what arises from the sale of players, but it is very difficult, impossible even, for them to maintain next season.

“There has been no special arrangements. To even be able to register [Jules] Kounde, the president and his treasurer have had to put in a personal guarantee. There has been nothing extraordinary.

Gomez added: “Barca have given up income for the next year and that income diminishes that capacity to retain players. They will not have that next year and they will have to adapt to the situation.”