The closing days of the transfer window are proving dramatic across Spain, with several clubs still unable to register all of their players for the new season.
Barcelona remain at the centre of attention as they continue to navigate La Liga’s financial restrictions while trying to keep Hansi Flick’s squad competitive.
With new arrivals already through the door and further deals being worked on, the Catalan club have been racing against the clock to balance contracts, departures and registrations.
Fans have been watching closely, knowing that every move in and out of Camp Nou has a knock-on effect on who Flick will be able to call upon this weekend.
And today brought fresh twists, with two major developments set to create some financial breathing room — but not quite enough to solve the club’s ongoing registration puzzle.
Barcelona confirmed that goalkeeper Inaki Pena has signed a contract extension until 2029 before immediately being loaned out to Elche CF for the remainder of the season.
The 26-year-old’s departure reduces the wage bill after his salary, reported to be around €3 million gross per year, was deferred into the future with the long-term renewal.
Shortly after, reports in Spain claimed that Barcelona were also finalising an agreement with Oriol Romeu to terminate his contract.
The midfielder, who had been expected to renounce at least half of his final year’s salary, eventually agreed to a smaller reduction but will still depart.
Together, the exits of Inaki Pena and Romeu are projected to free up approximately €4 million under La Liga’s Financial Fair Play calculations, according to La Vanguardia.
That margin should be enough for Barcelona to register new goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in time for this weekend’s clash with Rayo Vallecano.
However, it still falls short of what is needed to register the remaining unlisted players: Gerard Martin, Roony Bardghji and Marc Bernal.
While Bernal could feature under reserve registration rules as he is under 23 and has fewer than ten senior appearances, the other two require additional financial space.
As a result, the board may be forced to extend their financial guarantee from €7 million to €10 million to unlock further room, even while Deco continues working on potential loan moves such as Hector Fort.
There is also the lingering question of Fermin Lopez, who has attracted strong interest from Chelsea.
Should Barcelona cash in on the midfielder before deadline day, they could avoid stretching their guarantee and settle their registration issues more comfortably.
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