By Andrew Atkinson
FC Barcelona have received a £1.2bn offer to stabilise the Catalan club and write-off their substantial debt.
‘El Curubito’, from ‘8tv’ in Spain, report a company from Dubai has offered Barca to buy the entirety of their debt with €1.5billion (£1.2bn).
The report claims that the conditions of the offer would be very positive for Barcelona, as it would allow them complete moratorium for two years, and could be extended to 12 years.
If Barcelona were to accept the approach, they would receive the £1.2bn immediately, stabilising the club.
La Liga giants Barca sold star Lionel Messi to Paris Saint Germain in the summer, as financial issues at the club ensured that under league rules, they couldn’t afford to re-sign the Argentina ace.
In an attempt to lower the wage bill, Barca off-loaded Antione Griezmann in a return to Atletico Madrid.
Brazilian international Emerson Royal joined Spurs in a €25m move.
Barca President Joan Laporta publicly announced that the club are undergoing a huge rebuild to save it.
Emerson had signed for Barca in June after the club activated a clause to recall him from a Real Betis loan for €9 million.
In a twist Spurs offered €25m for the right-back, and Barca called him into the training ground and explained that they were going to let him go, despite his desire to remain.
“I thought the club wanted me to stay. I started against Getafe then, the next day I started to see a mountain of things coming out.
“That Tottenham were talking with Barcelona, that it was almost done. I didn’t know anything. The club called me to the training ground – that is when I learned they wanted me to go,” said Emerson.
Emerson explained that Barcelona’s financial crisis was the reason he was pushed out of the door.
“The directors were all there, telling me the club’s situation wasn’t good, that they were going through a difficult moment and that it was best to accept the offer,” he said.
“I repeated that I wanted to stay – because it was my dream to play for Barcelona. I knew I could succeed there if I was at my best.
“But I’m not stupid and we reached a moment where I realised they were telling me I was going whatever happened,” added Emerson.
President Joan Laporta revealed earlier this summer that Barca’s gross debt had risen to €1.35 billion, while the club spent the transfer window trying to reduce the wage bill, with Messi and Griezmann among players to exit.
After Messi’s departure in August, salaries reportedly still accounted for around 95% of Barca’s revenue, with La Liga’s fair play rules demanding they get that down to around 70%.
Emerson’s departure reduced their wage bill, and also brought in a transfer fee, which helped to increase the club’s spending limit on salaries with La Liga.
Miralem Pjanic also left Barca with the midfielder joining Turkish side Besiktas on loan.
Besiktas will pay a percentage of Pjanic’s salary.
Ilaix Moriba and Rey Manaj also left, joining Junior Firpo and Konrad de la Fuente, who moved in the transfer window.
Barca signed Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia on free transfers, with Yusuf Demir and Luuk de Jong joining on loan.
Caption: Brazilian international Emerson Royal joined Spurs in €25m move.
