Barcelona President Joan Laporta has admitted that while it would make more sense to do so, they are unlikely to make any transfer moves during the winter transfer window.
He explained that due to the La Liga salary limit rules, it would be easier for Barcelona to make signings in January rather than net July. Speaking to Sport at a charity golf tournament in Sant Cugat, Laporta explained that he felt no business was needed.
“Now we are in the 1:1 rule, but in the summer we will be back in the 1:4 rule. If we had to sign someone, it would be convenient to do it in winter; but we have a very competitive team: we are the club that has the most footballers at the World Cup (17). It shows a job well done and is clear proof that Xavi is doing a great job.”
Barcelona sold off €667m worth of assets in the summer in order to get around the rules he is referring to. They would have been subject to the 1:4 rule (clubs are only allowed to add 25% of what they save to their wage bill) otherwise, and thus unable to recruit.
That has informed his decision for the coming transfer window in January.
“We do not plan to do anything in January, unless there were unforeseen circumstances that we have to resolve. In principle we don’t have to do anything now, because we already worked in the summer with the ‘levers’, which allowed us to make a very competitive team. We are satisfied with how the season is going, despite the slip in the Champions League.”
“In addition, La Liga odes not make it easy it for, they restrict us more and more. They do not cease in their efforts to make it more and more strict. If they had had that obsession with ‘fair play’ a long time ago, we wouldn’t be like that now. I hope that more flexibility prevails.”
Previously Laporta has commented that Barcelona are unable to sign in January as things stand, although they are one of several clubs looking for a relaxation of the rules from La Liga.
If, as Laporta says, Barcelona are happy to wait until the summer for the 1:4 rule before they do any further recruitment, then it more or less means the bones of their squad is settled for the next two seasons. Without major sales, incomings are unlikely and certainly expensive additions would be out of the question.
