Barcelona’s Ongoing €200 Million Transfer Debt – Including Pjanic, Firpo, and Emerson Royal

Reports from Catalan media indicate that Barcelona still holds a substantial outstanding debt of over €200 million in unpaid transfer fees to several European clubs.

The club’s financial struggles in recent years have been widely publicized, with the departure of Lionel Messi in 2021 attributed to Barcelona’s inability to cover his contract and Messi’s hesitance to return due to uncertainties surrounding the club’s financial stability.

In an attempt to bolster their squad, Barcelona resorted to financial mechanisms last year, which included selling portions of their future television revenue and a stake in their in-house production company. Despite these measures, the club’s debt has not seen a significant reduction, and the Catalan newspaper ARA has shed light on the impending financial challenges.

According to the report, Barcelona is slated to settle €90 million (approximately £78 million) in unpaid transfer fees within the coming year, with an additional €120 million (£104 million) still outstanding beyond that time frame.

Several prominent clubs, including Manchester City, Leeds United, Bayern Munich, and Sevilla, remain on the list of creditors awaiting payment from Barcelona, with some of these debts associated with players who left Camp Nou a considerable time ago.

For instance, Barcelona reportedly owes Ajax €16 million (£14 million) for Frenkie de Jong, with smaller sums owed for former players such as Neto Muraua, Jean-Clair Todibo, Emerson Royal, Junior Firpo, and Miralem Pjanic.

In the case of Bosnian midfielder Pjanic, who currently plays in the UAE after making just 30 appearances for Barcelona, it is alleged that Barcelona owes money to four different clubs.

Regarding more recent transfers, Barcelona still has outstanding debts of approximately €38 million (£33 million) to Leeds for Raphinha, €26 million (£22 million) to Manchester City for Ferran Torres, and €21 million (£18 million) to Bayern Munich for Lewandowski, although not all of these payments are due in the current fiscal year.