The financial problems at Barcelona have been well documented for a while now, but that does not stop the Catalan club being linked with the world's best players. The Spanish giants have been strongly linked with Chelsea duo Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta.
The Blues duo are out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and both look set to call time on their stay with the west London club. Barcelona are said to be interested in the pair, but there looks to be a problem with that.
According to Spanish media outlet Marca, before Barcelona can even consider any business regarding incomings this summer, the club will have to pay Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. All three superstars, who have been strongly involved in Barcelona's success over the past decade, are owed more than £80million after they agreed to defer wages during the peak of the crisis at the Nou Camp.
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If Barcelona want to spend in the summer, on the likes of Christensen and Azpilicueta, whose wages will be high despite possibly being available on free transfers, then they will have to save money elsewhere. As well as this, the La Liga club are said to be interested in Raphinha, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea in recent months.
Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany now has a big job to try and convince the likes of Pique, Alba and Busquets to give up their owed bonuses. The report also states that the club do not even know what their salary cap for the 2022/23 season will be just yet.
This could be made even more complicated by La Liga chiefs' frosty relationship with the club given their intentions to break away into the controversial European Super League. There is some serious work that needs to be done for Barca off the pitch before they can get back to their normal selves in future transfer windows.
All of this could of course spell good news for Chelsea. Although, if Christensen and Azpilicueta do not end up at the Nou Camp, then they will likely have plenty of other suitors elsewhere.
On the Raphinha front, though, if Chelsea's interest is genuine, then it is one less contender for the Leeds United winger's signature. Liverpool are also said to be keen on the talented Brazil international, though.
