Barca still 'deeply in debt'

The most recent financial statement of Barcelona again highlights the severe financial difficulties faced by the Catalan club.

According to this document, Barca still owes a total of 159.1 million Euros for transfer deals, of which 140.6 million Euros is short-term debt (due before summer 2026) and 18.5 million Euros is long-term debt, mostly related to the Dani Olmo transfer.

The detailed table shows that Barca’s largest debts mainly come from major signings in recent years. Leading the list is Raphinha, with total installment payments to related clubs amounting to 42 million Euros, including Leeds United, Sporting CP, Vitória SC, and Stade Rennais.

Second is Jules Kounde with about 25 million Euros owed, including Sevilla and his former club Bordeaux. Next is Dani Olmo, with a total of 18.9 million Euros short-term debt and 14.8 million Euros long-term debt, the only major payment extending beyond 2026.

The failed signing Vitor Roque also contributes significantly with 17.2 million Euros payable to Athletico Paranaense. Meanwhile, Ferran Torres has caused Barca to owe over 13.7 million Euros to Manchester City and Valencia combined. Finally, Robert Lewandowski has led the Catalan club to pay nearly 11 million Euros to Bayern Munich and the Polish clubs that previously owned him.

An important detail is that many entries in the report are marked with an asterisk “*”, indicating that the clubs have transferred the debt collection rights to banks or other financial institutions. This means Barca must still pay the debts on time, but instead of sending money directly to the clubs, payments go to the financial intermediaries—for example, the nearly 42 million Euros debt for the Raphinha deal is now paid to a bank rather than Leeds United directly.

Despite many efforts to balance the budget, this report shows Barca is still “carrying” a massive transfer debt. With over 159 million Euros to be paid in the coming years, the Camp Nou team has a long way to go to escape the “overwhelming debt” situation, a lingering consequence from a period of heavy but uncontrolled spending in the past.