Barcelona chief gives Arsenal lead in race for Nolito saying that Catalans shouldn't sign in January

Arsenal have received a new boost in the race to clinch Nolito after Barcelona's vice president for the economic area, Susana Monje, said the Catalan giants should stay away from making signings in the January window due to club debt. Monje believes that although there is money to buy new additions, Barca must be "prudent" if they are to keep their books balanced.

Barcelona managed Luis Enrique is understood to be very keen on adding Nolito to his squad in the January window, following the hole in his attack made by the departure of Pedro to Chelsea. However, both AS and Mundo Deportivo recently reported that the club's board did not want to make new signings unless further squadmembers left the Nou Camp, due to the club's own regulations regarding its debt.

The club's statutes state that any board that allows Ebitda (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) multiplied by two to exceed the club's overall debt, must stand down. According to reports, they are not far from it.

Celta Vigo sporting director Miguel Torrecilla recently admitted that Nolito would leave the club in January should any suitors meet his release clause, which is currently £13m ($20m). Mundo Deportivo later added that Barcelona could not afford this figure, while claiming that the Gunners were ready to take advantage of this and offer the player a contract that would triple his wages.

The vice-president for the Economic Area of Barcelona has now confirmed the former news, claiming that despite the club being able to make new signings, they should not.

"We can sign and shall make an effort to do so, but we have to be prudent. The club has made profits, it is solid and that means we can cover the players' salaries," she said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. "FC Barcelona is financially in very good health. This is the best moment ever in the history of the club.

"We are happy to have achieved the highest income in the history of the Club. There is still potential to generate even more income but things are on the right track. We shall continue to reduce the debt and capitalise the club."

Monje explained that the problem is that Barcelona made an special effort in the summer of 2014 to sign the likes of Luis Suarez and Thomas Vermaelen, aware that they were going to be unable to sign more players during the following two transfer windows due to a Fifa ban. Furthermore, last summer they also spent around £35m to sign both Arda Turdan and Aleix Vidal, who will be free to play once the club's transfer ban expires in January.