Javier Tebas has revealed that Barcelona can no longer sign more players due to a La Liga ruling.
The Camp Nou club were forced to use levers to sort out their financial woes during the summer.
Barca bought and registered new players after selling 25% of their TV rights for the next 25 years to private equity company Sixth Street.
Years of reckless spending under past administrations eventually caught up with them.
Despite splashing the cash during the summer, Xavi’s side failed to progress beyond the group stages of the Champions League.
Barca were also denied a place in the Europa League round of 16 by Manchester United.
They remain top of La Liga but will look to bolster their ranks next summer.
However, that could prove impossible judging by Tebas’ latest claim.
“As of today, Barcelona doesn’t have any room in its budget to spend in the upcoming transfer window,” Tebas said at the FT Business of Football summit in London (via the Sun).
“Barcelona has been involved in questionable behaviour which has had an impact on LaLiga – and we are acting accordingly. We have ruled that they can no longer sign more players.
“They sold off €700 million in TV rights and tried to find different ways to solve the situation. But they won’t be able to do that next season.
“We have strict economic controls. At the end of each window, we tell all the clubs in La Liga what they can spend.
“In the case of Barcelona, they have to drop from spending on wages and transfers from €650m to €450m – so it’s a budget of minus €200m.
“They have to reduce their investment in players and we have encouraged them to sell players because for every amount they raise in sales they can spend 40% of that.”
The Catalans may be forced to sell some players to balance the books.
They tried to sell Frenkie de Jong last summer, but the Dutchman remained at Camp Nou.
Manchester United could attempt to sign him again during the next transfer window.
The Red Devils have also been linked with Ansu Fati, having kept tabs on him since his academy days.
Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan are reportedly keen on Franck Kessie.
Ticket sales and winning the La Liga and Copa del Rey are unlikely to be enough for Barca.
Tebas will not allow them to get away scot-free if there is any chance that he can punish them.
They cannot challenge in Europe with their current squad, so a transfer ban would be a massive blow.
However, there are still four months before the summer transfer window opens.
Barcelona will most likely find a way to get by as they have always done.
