Barcelona officially announced the signing of England’s Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for €70 million, potentially rising to €80 million with add-ons, on a five-year contract. The club is also targeting Bernardo Silva on a free transfer after his Manchester City contract expired, and preparing a €100 million bid for Atlético Madrid’s Argentine striker Julián Álvarez, alongside defensive reinforcements.

These moves raised questions about how Barcelona could afford and register new players after years of financial struggles. Spanish daily Sport explained that the issue was never liquidity but registration restrictions. La Liga has now allowed Barcelona to operate under the 1:1 rule, instead of the stricter 2:1 or 4:1 ratios that previously forced the club to cut multiple euros in expenses for every euro spent on signings.
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Barcelona’s return to “normal” financial fair play conditions stems from President Joan Laporta’s management, both sporting and commercial. The 2025–2026 budget projected revenues of €1.075 billion, a figure expected to be surpassed. Additional funds came from VIP seating sales used earlier to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor. Revenue has also increased with the team’s return to Spotify Camp Nou, set to grow further in 2026–2027 with phased reopening of the third tier.
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Salary flexibility is another factor. High wages such as Robert Lewandowski’s are being managed, while contracts for players like Marc-André ter Stegen and Marcus Rashford remain under review. Andreas Christensen’s expected renewal will come at a lower salary. La Liga estimates Barcelona can spend up to €120 million on a new striker without breaching salary caps or registration rules.

Looking ahead, Barcelona plans to build a competitive squad for at least two seasons, anticipating possible restrictions in 2027 when stadium renovations may reduce ticket and VIP revenues. This could force La Liga to reapply stricter salary cap rules. For now, however, Barcelona enjoys a rare financial window to strengthen across all positions.