‘Is it legal?’ - PSG president hits out at Barcelona for 'unfair' asset sales

Barca chief Joan Laporta and his board sold off club assets in the summer to raise money for transfers.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has suggested UEFA should investigate the legality of Barcelona’s asset sales over the summer.

The LaLiga club, which posted a debt of €1.35 billion in 2021, spent over €150 million to sign Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde. Four other players – Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin, and Marcos Alonso – arrived on free transfers.

To boost their transfer budget and comply with LaLiga’s FFP rules, Barcelona sold stakes of their future LaLiga TV rights and their in-house media production unit, Barca Studios. The club raised more than €700 million.

“Is this fair? No, it’s not fair… Is it legal? I’m not sure,” Al-Khelaifi told Politico.

“If they allow them, others will do the same. UEFA, of course, have their own [financial] regulations. For sure, they’re going to look at everything.”

Last week, Barcelona announced a profit of €98 million for the 2021/22 season. The club board expects to net a further €271 million by the end of the current campaign.

Xavi Hernandez’s men are also unbeaten after six games in LaLiga this season, leaving them second in the standings. They return to action on Saturday away to Mallorca.