Barcelona are studying two options to circumvent the transfer ban that prevents them from signing players until next January.
The Catalans have been hit with a FIFA sanction for breaking regulations regarding bringing young players into the club from outside Spain, although they are currently looking at ways that would allow them to dip into the transfer market in 2015.
The first option is to give players a contract and then have them wait until January 2016, which is not dissimilar to the case with Luis Suarez last summer. The Uruguayan’s ban for biting at the World Cup in Brazil meant he could not play in official matches, while he was still able to train with the rest of the squad.
This scenario would see Barca sign a player who would only be able to train and then play in friendly games, with the obvious disadvantage of lack of match practice by the time he is incorporated into the first team.
The other option is to come to an agreement with a player this summer and allow him to continue with his current club until 2015, when the FIFA ban ends, after which he would link up with Barcelona and play the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, club President Josep Maria Bartomeu is awaiting a possible meeting with FIFA representatives as he seeks to resolve the situation, despite Barca having broken ties with world football’s governing body for the time being.
