Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 6:15 PM• Jeroen van Poppel • Last update: 18:17

Barcelona cannot attract any new player during the winter transfer period, technical director Mateu Alemany (right in the photo) reported on Wednesday at the presentation of Dani Alves. The Catalans must first sell players to free up budget for reinforcements. “At the moment there is no possibility in winter, but we are working on it,” said Alemany.

Previously, ASH Another winter transfer budget of ten million euros has been mentioned, but the problem for Barcelona is in the salary cap. “We can enroll Xavi and the rest of the new coaching staff and we will be at the limit of our salary budget,” said Alemany. “We will review our options and discuss his needs with the new coach. We are currently exploring how we can increase our options in relation to Financial Fair Play.” In LaLiga, the rules for Financial Fair Play are strict: salary costs may not exceed seventy percent of turnover.

Barcelona will try to get rid of redundant players in January. Samuel Umtiti and Philippe Coutinho are among the leading candidates, but given their sky-high salaries, a departure is difficult. Tuesday reported Sport Even so, Coutinho, the club’s highest paid player, has no intention of leaving Barca in the winter. Umtiti wants to go for another chance under Xavi. The Frenchman was not eligible for playing minutes under Ronald Koeman.

Joan Laporta was also present at the presentation of 38-year-old Alves, who according to Spanish media will be the worst paid player in the selection. The Barcelona president was asked about the possibility of bringing back other club icons in the future. The names of Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta were also mentioned. “I’m not ruling out anything,” said Laporta. “It has happened to Dani, who has also made a significant financial effort. I cannot predict the future, but Leo and Andrés are exceptional players, who are still active. We will always keep them in our minds, but at the moment they are under contract with other clubs.” Messi (34) is with Paris Saint-Germain until mid-2023, while Iniesta (37) is attached to Japan’s Vissel Kobe until early 2024.