Barcelona’s cost-cutting measures have seen them get rid of Ivan Rakitic and Arthur Melo, while Arturo Vidal and Luis Suarez are also on their way out.
Barcelona are suffering financially in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. To combat this, they are getting rid of first-team regulars on huge wages.
The culling in the dressing room began with Arthur Melo, who was swapped for Miralem Pjanic. The Brazilian was on a €6 million contract.
Ivan Rakitic has followed Arthur out of the Camp Nou. He rejoins Sevilla after a six-year hiatus in Catalonia. Arturo Vidal will also leave in the coming days.
The departure of Vidal and Rakitic will save the club €34 million in wages. Combined, the total comes down to €40 million.
If Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez also exit the dressing room, savings on wages will increase by a further €120 million per season.
While Luis Saurez is certain to leave, Barcelona are fighting tooth and nail to keep hold of La Pulga. A series of meetings between Messi’s representatives and their Barcelona counterparts were held.
It has been reported that Messi has stood his ground on his demand to leave the club. Meanwhile, Barcelona are trying their best to save face and make the most from the legend’s departure.
Marca reported that the decision to get rid of players was reached in the boardroom after Barcelona lost €200 million in the 2019/20 campaign. They stand to lose a further €320 million in revenue during the 2020/21 season.
With the wage bill accounting for 60 percent of their revenue, getting rid of overpaid players is the direction of the club.
Club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu shared that there will be additions to the staff, but they will be dependent on the players leaving the club first.
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