. Barcelona, Spain
La Liga: Barca register Depay, Garcia after ‘substantial’ Pique wage-cut
Gerard Pique is FC Barcelona's second captain, with Sergio Busquests the first-choice skipper. (Photo Credit: Twitter/@FCBarcelona)
- Gerard Pique's salary "has been substantially reduced" the club confirmed
- Talks are ongoing with Sergio Busquests and Jordi Alba for similar wage cuts
- "It must be noted that both players are totally and utterly willing to cooperate," the club said
Barcelona confirmed Saturday they have been able to register summer signings Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia as well as striker Rey Manaj for the upcoming La Liga season after second captain Gerard Pique agreed to “substantially” reduce his wages.
The Catalans’ financial woes have prevented them from registering new players, while also resulting in the failure to re-sign club legend Lionel Messi. The Blaugranas have been desperately trying to balance their books to abide by La Liga’s wage caps all summer, but had so far been unable to make the necessary changes.
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“Barcelona is able to register Memphis, Eric Garcia and Rey Manaj to play in the Spanish Liga de Futbol Profesional,” the club said in a statement. “This has been made possible thanks to an agreement with Gerard Piqué whereby the Barça second captain’s salary has been substantially reduced.”
“This means that all of the first team players will be available for selection by Ronald Koeman for this Sunday’s opening Liga fixture against Real Sociedad,” the club added.
However, Sergio Aguero is still unavialble for selection as he is yet to be registered. Barca have confirmed they are currently in negotiations with other captains Sergio Busquests and Jordi Alba to adapt their salaries to the club’s current situation.
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“It must be noted that both players are totally and utterly willing to cooperate,” they added.
Apart from Messi, who left as a free agent, the club has been able to offload a number of players in an attempt to reduce their wage bill. Jean-Clair Todibo was sold to OGC Nice for €8 million, Carles Alena was sold to Getafe for €5 million, Konrad de la Fuente was sold to Marseille for €3.5 million while Junior Firpo was sold to Leeds United for €15 million.
Additionally, the club received €6 million from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a year-long loan deal for Francisco Trincao, while Matheus Fernandes’ contract has been terminated.