Barcelona rush to clear cap space for Dani Olmo

Barcelona are working against the clock to make space within their spending cap to prolong Dani Olmo’s registration with LaLiga before it expires on Dec. 31, multiple sources have told ESPN.

Olmo signed in the summer from RB Leipzig, but he missed Barça’s first two matches of the season because his registration had not been processed with LaLiga due to the club’s continued financial woes.

He was finally registered on a temporary basis until the end of the calendar year, granted to cover the long-term injury suffered by Andreas Christensen.

If Barça do not make enough space within their LaLiga-imposed €426 million ($447.5m) salary limit before January, the Spain international will not be permitted to play for the club in the second half of the season.

Striker Pau Víctor, a summer signing from Girona, is in the same situation.

Mundo Deportivo report that Olmo would also be allowed to leave for free in that scenario, per a clause in his contract.

A source suggested to ESPN the story is correct, but another source at Barça said they were not able to speak about “confidential” contract details.

The clause has become increasingly common in players’ deals at the Catalan club, with ESPN first revealing its existence when Christensen and Franck Kessié joined in 2022.

Barça remain in excess of their cap, but can spend a percentage of anything they save or raise on registering players.

Sources at the club remain optimistic that will be the case with Olmo and Victor.

The club recently announced a new deal with kit supplier Nike that will give them a revenue boost. The agreement must first be approved by the club’s members, though, with a vote planned for Dec. 21.

Various media reports suggest the club are also working on a deal to sell rights to the VIP boxes at Spotify Camp Nou, which is being renovated, for the next 20 years.

Sources add the club are working on other sources of investment, adding the “last option” would be for one of the club’s board members to put up a personal guarantee to enable Olmo and Victor’s registrations.