The Blaugrana are unlikely to have any money to spend on new signings, but Joan Laporta & Co. will still be very busy over the next month…
After staving off the threat of bankruptcy by pulling one economic lever after another, Joan Laporta proudly declared in July that Barcelona were "on the road to normality". The Catalans, the club president claimed, were back in a position to sign some of the game's top talent.
However, Barca brought in just one high-profile player during the summer transfer window, Dani Olmo, who was signed from RB Leipzig for €60 million (£50m/$62m), and they didn't even manage to register the Spain international in time for the start of the 2024-25 season because of their ongoing financial problems.
In the end, Barca needed a very timely injury to Andreas Christensen, which freed up some space within their salary cap, and special dispensation from La Liga to field Olmo – but only for the first half of the season while the club continued to work on balancing the books. Olmo's status for the second half of the campaign remains up in the air, however, after Barca's appeal to register the Spain international for the remainder of the campaign was rejected, meaning they have work to do to avoid a seriously embarrassing situation.
But that aside, what else can Barca actually do in January? Will they be able to strengthen Hansi Flick's squad? Or will their sole objective be holding onto what they've already got? GOAL explains all below…
Getty Images SportRecoup some of the foolish Ferran fee
Ferran Torres has found a little form since returning from injury at the tail end of November, with the attacker on target in both the 5-1 win at Mallorca on December 3 and the 2-2 draw with Real Betis four days later, and he could continue to prove a decent squad player in the second half of the season if he can stay fit.
However, there's no guarantee that he will – he was twice sidelined by hamstring problems in 2024 – and there's also no guarantee that he'll suddenly become a world-class striker now that he's being regularly deployed in a more central position that he says he relishes.
Granted, Ferran has shown flashes of becoming the player that Barca thought they were buying from Manchester City in January 2022, but there's simply no disguising that he's failed dismally to live up to his €55m (£46m/$57m) price tag. It looked like a horribly ill-advised bet for a cash-strapped club at the time – and so it's proved, with Barca still reportedly paying off the foolish fee.
Consequently, Barcelona should make it clear to all of Ferran's suitors – and he does have a few, including Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid allegedly – that they would be willing to accept a lot less money than they paid for him two years ago. Selling the Spain international would both generate some capital and remove a highly-paid but underperforming player from the wage bill.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTie down Pedri & Gavi
Amid all of the uncertainty at Barcelona, one thing is clear: in Pedri and Gavi the Blaugrana have two players capable of running the midfield for the next decade. They are just that good.
Both have had their injury issues – Gavi is still easing his way back to full match fitness after an ACL tear – but their value to the club cannot be overstated.
It’s, therefore, imperative that Barca tie down both to new, long-term contracts – particularly as it's been reported on numerous occasions over the past 18 months that rival European clubs are looking to take advantage of the Catalans' money troubles by swooping for Pedri and Gavi. Indeed, there was a real fear that the latter might leave while Barca were struggling to register the 20-year-old ahead of the 2023-24 season – and they only managed to do so after taking La Liga to court.
The last thing Barca need is another messy legal dispute, so rather than signing new players right now, the focus is on holding onto their existing stars.
According to reports, Lamine Yamal has already agreed to extend his contract from 2026 to 2030 when he turns 18 next summer, but agreements have not yet been reached with Pedri and Gavi, who also have just 18 months to run on their respective deals.
Both Spain stars have expressed their desire to stay at Barca for their entire careers, but until those renewals are official, fans will remain on edge.
AFPFind a new home for Fati
It's not so long ago that Ansu Fati was in Yamal's shoes, the toast of Barcelona and touted as 'The new Lionel Messi'. Sadly, the Spain international is a shadow of the player that exploded onto the scene as a 16-year-old in 2019, breaking one goal-scoring record after another.
Fati has barely featured for Barcelona over the past few years, with incessant injury issues having taken a heavy toll on the forward. He's started just one game this season and it's now painfully clear that there's no future for him at Barcelona.
Last season's loan spell at Brighton may not have gone well at all, but both Barcelona and Fati’s entourage need to work together to find him a new home during the January transfer window. Convincing a decent-sized club willing to take a gamble on a player still plagued by fitness problems will not be easy, though…
Getty Images SportCash in on De Jong – if they can
Frenkie de Jong has become a major problem for Barcelona. Like Gavi and Pedri, the 27-year-old has still got 18 months left on his current contract but, unlike his fellow midfielders, the former Ajax ace is reportedly reluctant to sign a new one as he's allegedly eyeing a lucrative free transfer in 2026.
Barca, then, simply have to find a buyer in January. Flick is presently doing his utmost to get De Jong back to something resembling his best, but the Netherlands international has been desperately poor since returning from his latest lay-off and has started just two games in 2024-25.
Consequently, De Jong, who is believed to be earning a staggering €23m (£19m/$24m) gross per annum, has been recently targeted by the Barca boos, which is hardly surprising. Given their dire financial situation, the Blaugrana literally can't afford to have such an expensive signing sitting on the bench.
The problem is, though, it's also been claimed that De Jong has no intention of leaving a city in which his family is happy and settled unless any interested party is willing to match his current salary.
So, even if Barca make De Jong available for a knockdown fee – which is imperative – they'll need a top European team to make him an offer he finds agreeable. Otherwise, they'll be stuck paying a poor player a king's ransom for at least another six months yet.