Barcelona gets approval to spend €150m; Laporta confirms plan
Xavi has identified his top targets and informed club president Joan Laporta
Football Club Barcelona have been given the green light to sign their top targets this summer by La Liga chief Javier Tebas. The Catalan giants have been crippled in the transfer market by their debt and over-inflated wage bill, but are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
The Spanish club's board of directors have approved the 49.9% sale of Barcelona's merchandising and licensing (BLM) arm, and 25% of their future TV rights. It is expected to fetch the club at least €600 million in revenue, which will enable to them to clear part of their debt and invest in strengthening the first-team squad.
Xavi Hernandez has made Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski and Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde his top targets this summer. The duo is expected to cost a combined €100 million, which is currently out of Barcelona's budget.
Tebas is certain that once the necessary funds are raised, Barcelona can go about signing their top targets. The Catalan club will also have to offload a number of first-team stars to further raise funds to sign Xavi's other targets.
"If Barça manages to activate the levers, they will be able to sign Lewandowski, Bernardo Silva and some others," Tebas said.
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta also confirmed recently that the club will be able to sign Xavi's top targets when funds become available following the sale of BLM and the TV rights. The club will also be able to register new arrivals Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie.
"We are abut to conclude one of them. We are working to execute the leverage related to the television rights," Laporta said, as quoted on Barca Blaugranes.
"We will do so in a few days and in July we will do the other. We will make two or three operations to have our balance positive. That will allow us to pay off the debt reasonably and make a competitive team."
Bernardo Silva is also on Barcelona's radar but the Portuguese midfielder, who is rated at €80 million by Manchester City, will only arrive if Frenkie de Jong departs the club this summer. The Dutch midfielder has been linked with a move to Manchester United, but the Red Devils will have to meet Barcelona's €80 million price tag.
