It is no secret that Barcelona has had financial troubles in recent years. From seeing Lionel Messi leave the club to experiencing delays in registering players, the club has suffered at times due to a lack of available funds.
New ownership can, of course, bring in a ray of hope for fans when it comes to the financial aspect of things. The club is currently owned by ‘socios’, which makes Barca a fan-run club that isn’t under the ownership of one single party. But could that change in the near future?
Saudi Prince Reportedly Keen on Buying Barcelona
Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman is reportedly open to buying Barcelona. According to journalist Francois Gallardo, he intends to make an offer of $11.69 billion to purchase the club.
However, the ‘socios’ are apparently the only major hurdle that could prevent this deal from happening. Barcelona follows the ‘1:1 rule’, which means they can only spend on sports salaries as much as their accounts and income allow.
It will be interesting to see if such a change in ownership would see Barcelona go head-to-head with some of the most financially powerful clubs in world football. The report also states that it would include wiping out the club’s massive $2.93 billion debt.
Barcelona’s stadium renovation hasn’t been easy on them financially as well. However, it would seem improbable that the club’s structural barriers would permit a foreign entity to hold full ownership of the club.
Barcelona Star Not in Training After Osasuna Game
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s immediate focus will be on their next assignment, which is an away game against third-tier side C.D. Guadalajara on Dec. 16. They beat Osasuna 2-0 at home in LaLiga this weekend to stretch their lead at the top of the table to seven points after 17 games, having played one game more.
There was, however, a cause for concern during the match for Hansi Flick. Robert Lewandowski was an unused substitute throughout the 90 minutes as a second-half Raphinha brace got the job done for the Catalan side.
According to Mundo Deportivo (via GetFootballNewsSpain), the Pole did play in the game despite suffering from a back and hamstring injury. He reportedly lacked match fitness, and it seems unlikely that Lewandowski will feature in the cup game this week.
Barcelona would certainly feel they are good enough to oversee that challenge without risking the fitness of their star striker. The 37-year-old has scored eight goals in 17 matches across competitions this season. Flick, in his absence, has used Ferran Torres as a No. 9, and to good effect.
