Recently re-elected FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta has made another new signing in his reign according to El Confidencial.
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Recently re-elected FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta has made another new signing in his reign according to El Confidencial, which cited anyonmous sources.
The past fortnight has already seen Barça complete two new transfers. Out of nowhere, the Blaugrana signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United and agreed to pay a $80 million (€70 million) fee plus add-ons for the England left winger.
The move has contributed to Barça reportedly deciding not to trigger Marcus Rashford’s $35 million (€30 million) buy option, meaning he should return to Manchester United after the World Cup.
On the same day news about Rashford broke, however, it was also revealed that Barça will pay $1.72 million (€1.5 million) to Al-Ahly for striker Hamza Abdelkarim.
Also set to feature at the FIFA tournament in North America like Gordon and Rashford, Abdelkarim might get the chance to train with Hansi Flick’s first team group in preaseason giving the lack of central 9 options.
We’ve seen that with other reserve stars such as Marc Bernal and Marc Casado in recent camps. They’ve then been able to stay with the senior group for the upcoming campagin, after impressing in friendlies in the United States.
Laporta has made another signing for FC Barcelona
Winning the election on March 15, Laporta is about to start his second term as the club’s leader and is already ringing changes.
According to ‘El Confidencial’, Laporta has hired an executive at Banco Sabadell – one of the largest banks in Catlaonia and Spain – to become his new financial director.
Sergio Serrano, the man in question, will lead the final phase of the restructuring plan Laporta launched when initially voted in by Barça members in 2021 for his second reign overall.
The effects of the pandemic thrust the Catalans into a financial crisis which almost destroyed them as a club.
On Laporta’s watch, however, FC Barcelona has returned to its Spotify Camp Nou stadium while also winning three La Liga titles and a number of other domestic honors.
SPORT explains that Serrano’s main task will be refinancing Barça’s debt, which is currently estimated at $2.88 billion (€2.5 billion).
Barça’s current credit rating is reportedly “on the borderline of what is considered a solvent company” according to the Catalan newspaper, meaning Serrano has “a lot of work ahead of him”.
The mentioned amount includes a loan for $1.67 billion (€1.45 billion) from Goldman Sachs to help complete the Espai Barça project around the Spotify Camp Nou.
Ara and SPORT have reported that Laporta will look to increase the loan and seek member approval for it. If given the green light, that move should see the debt increased by $346 million to $461 million (€300 million to €400 million).
Meanwhile, Barça have to remain competitive on the pitch. Flick has managed this with a mixture of La Masia youth talents and the odd big name.
The Gordon transfer is perhaps an indicator that FC Barcelona can make the marquee signings of a pre-pandemic yesteryear. Yet the current Julian Alvarez saga highlights the need for increased financial muscle as Barça need to up their $116 million (€100 million) bid for the Argentine.