The signing of Marcus Rashford by FC Barcelona has sparked a mixture of hope and concern in the culé environment. While the English striker is already in Barcelona after having passed the medical examination and signed his contract, his official registration for the 2025-26 season remains up in the air due to the complex economic circumstances that the Blaugrana club is going through.
The situation is further complicated by the 100 million euros pending collection related to the VIP boxes of the Spotify Camp Nou, an operation that the club needs to finalize to comply with the requirements of LaLiga's Financial Fair Play.
The arrival of the Manchester United winger, officially announced this Wednesday, represents both a sporting opportunity and a financial challenge for the entity chaired by Joan Laporta. The player has accepted a 25% salary reduction and trusts the club's promises regarding his future registration, but Barcelona's economic reality presents significant obstacles that could delay his debut until mid-August.
The complex situation of Rashford's registration
Problems with Financial Fair Play. Some sources claim that FC Barcelona is currently exceeding its salary limit by 157 million euros, which prevents the club from complying with LaLiga's 1:1 rule. This regulation requires clubs to balance their sporting expenses with their actual income, a condition that Barcelona has failed to meet despite the multiple attempts at financial engineering carried out in recent years.
According to the sources consulted, Barcelona's sports squad cost limit would be set at 426.4 million euros, while its current wage bill would reach 583.4 million. This difference of 157 million represents the main obstacle to the immediate registration of Rashford and other signings such as Joan García and Wojciech Szczęsny.
Barça's strategies to free up salary mass
To solve this situation, the Blaugrana club must implement a series of urgent measures before the start of the season. Among the main strategies are:
Sales of key players: Barcelona is actively working on the departure of several players to reduce its wage bill. Andreas Christensen and Marc-André ter Stegen appear as priority candidates, as together they represent about 15.3 million euros in annual salaries. However, Christensen has been reluctant to leave the club, complicating this avenue of financial relief.
Assignments and loans: The club has achieved certain improvements through operations such as the loan of Ansu Fati to AS Monaco, freeing up approximately 14 million euros of his high salary. This formula has become a recurring tool for Barcelona in its search for salary space.
Activation of new levers: Joan Laporta has mentioned on several occasions the possibility of activating new financial mechanisms, including commercial agreements such as the recent sponsorship contract with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, valued between 10 and 11.5 million euros per year.
The 100 million euros pending from the VIP boxes
One of the most critical aspects for Rashford's registration lies in the completion of the collection of the 100 million euros from the sale of 475 VIP seats at the Spotify Camp Nou. This operation, based on the American model of Personal Seat License (PSL), was structured with two investors from the Middle East: Fort Advisors Limited (Qatar) for 30 million euros and New Era Visionary Group (United Arab Emirates) for 70 million.
The PSL model allows the club to transfer the rights to use these seats for 30 years in exchange for an initial payment for the license, plus the annual cost of the ticket. Investors can subsequently market these seats or use them for their own enjoyment, reducing the commercial risk for Barcelona.
Current status of payments
To date, FC Barcelona has received only 58 million euros of the 100 million agreed. Fort Advisors has completed its payment of 30 million, while New Era Visionary Group has paid 28 million of the 70 committed. The remaining 42 million are scheduled to be paid in two installments: the first must arrive before September 2025, and the second before June 2026.
Implications for Barcelona in the transfer market
Barcelona's current financial situation imposes severe limitations on the transfer market. In addition to Rashford, the club cannot register Joan García, goalkeeper from Espanyol, nor Wojciech Szczęsny, who already played the previous season in the team.
According to the sources consulted, Barcelona hopes to resolve the registration situation before the start of LaLiga, scheduled for August 17. However, the recent experience with similar cases, such as that of Dani Olmo last season, suggests that the processes could be extended until the third or fourth matchday of the championship. In case of not achieving the immediate registration of Rashford, the Blaugrana club maintains several options:
Use of medical leave: LaLiga allows the temporary registration of players when others suffer long-term injuries. The injuries of ter Stegen and other players could facilitate this route.
Last-minute sales: The temporary pressure could accelerate the departure negotiations of players like Christensen, generating the necessary salary space.
Activation of special clauses: The club could resort to specific interpretations of LaLiga's regulations or seek precautionary measures through the Higher Sports Council, as happened with the Olmo case.
When will Barcelona be able to register Marcus Rashford?
Marcus Rashford has landed in Barcelona and has already signed his contract with FC Barcelona, but his official registration for the 2025-26 season remains suspended due to the financial problems of the Blaugrana club.
The culé entity must free up salary mass and complete the collection of the 100 million euros pending from the sale of the VIP boxes of the Spotify Camp Nou before being able to register the English striker for the start of LaLiga.
The arrival of Rashford to Barcelona represents both an exceptional sporting opportunity and a complex financial challenge that tests the management capacity of Joan Laporta and his board.