Lionel Messi
Barcelona are seeking new means of financing the club after the collapse of the European Super League left them with a €350 million hole to fill, sources have told ESPN.
New Barca president Joan Laporta took charge in March with the club’s gross debt standing at almost €1.2 billion.
He was banking on the Super League money to be able to renew Lionel Messi’s contract, pay backdated wages and, if possible, make a move for Erling Haaland or Neymar, sources have told ESPN.
The Catalan club were one of the 12 founding members of the doomed Super League and, despite reaffirming their commitment to the project last Thursday, have been forced to accept that the competition is unlikely to launch any time soon.
That means Barca will no longer receive the initial €350m they anticipated they would receive from JP Morgan. The American company had committed to putting up a €3.5bn grant to kickstart the project and help clubs recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Therefore, with an internal audit into the club’s dire financial situation still ongoing, Barca have accelerated the search for outside investment.