Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.
With no games until the third of January, and the transfer window yet to open, you might have expected a quieter Christmas break in Spain. Lo and behold, Barcelona enter stage right.
As things stand, Barcelona will be unable to play Dani Olmo or Pau Victor for the rest of the season due, after the end of the year deadline passed without them being registered. Originally they had been registered using the salary cap space of Andreas Christensen, due to an emergency injury rule. But with Christensen back from injury, Barcelona had to find the finance to register Olmo and Victor otherwise.
The added element to this is that players cannot be registered twice, meaning if La Liga takes down their registration, they not only cannot play for Barcelona for the rest of the season, they cannot be be loaned out either. Olmo also has a contract clause allowing him to leave for free for if he is not registered – having cost €55m just four months ago, and with his entire €48m salary from his six-year deal. A €103m mistake. That is why you have seen Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea all linked to him.
As of Thursday afternoon, Barcelona say they are optimistic that La Liga will register them. They say they had submitted the documents for the €100m sale of VIP boxes for the next 20 years at Camp Nou (once it opens), but it was La Liga that asked for extra guarantees, hence the delay. Nevertheless, they are certainly playing fast and loose, and President Joan Laporta is risking his tenure.
“I have to admit that when I signed for #FCBarcelona I did not imagine that I’d win only one Liga, one Copa del Rey and one Super Cup after 4 years. I expected at least double that, so that disappoints me.”
??Frenkie de Jong to Voetbal International. pic.twitter.com/AQpqRJO1rL
— Football España (@footballespana_) January 2, 2025
Then there is Trent Alexander-Arnold – also potentially available on a free. Liverpool might be briefing that he is not leaving,…
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