Barcelona’s transfer plans face a major setback as LaLiga deems their registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor as invalid, exposing FFP violations

Barcelona’s ambitious transfer plans have encountered a significant hurdle after LaLiga declared that the club’s registration of players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor was conducted under false pretenses, casting a shadow over their efforts to sign top targets this summer.

The ruling, issued on March 27, 2025, reveals that Barcelona’s €100 million VIP box deal, a key transaction that was meant to facilitate the registration of Olmo and Pau Victor during the January transfer window, was not properly accounted for in the club’s latest financial submissions.

This oversight has left Barcelona exceeding their Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits, placing their transfer strategy in jeopardy.

LaLiga, in a detailed nine-point statement, criticized both Barcelona and their auditor for not adhering to FFP regulations. The governing body emphasized that the financial operation, which had been initially cleared for the club’s financial statements in early January 2025, was not properly reflected in the Interim Financial Statements submitted by the club for the first half of the 2024-2025 season.

The implications of this development are far-reaching. Barcelona had planned to make a significant splash in the transfer market, with reports linking them to former stars Lionel Messi and Neymar, among others.

However, with their financial position now under scrutiny, those plans have been severely disrupted.

Barcelona, who have historically faced financial difficulties, had hoped that a combination of free agent signings and key deals would keep them competitive with rivals Real Madrid.

They had already secured the services of Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, but their dream of re-signing Messi appears to be slipping further away.

The club’s hopes of securing the necessary financial flexibility to meet their goals were dashed when LaLiga pointed out the discrepancies in their financial reporting.

Despite Barcelona’s claims that the VIP box deal was correctly registered as income, the subsequent audit by Crowe Auditores España revealed that the transaction had not been included in their official statements.

In response to the developments, LaLiga stated that Barcelona’s squad cost limit (LCPD) had been significantly reduced as a result of these irregularities.

The club now faces the challenge of navigating these financial constraints while still trying to bolster their squad ahead of next season.

The situation has left Barcelona in a precarious position, especially with the looming uncertainty regarding their ability to register new players.

With their transfer ambitions now under serious threat, the club must focus on resolving these financial issues before they can proceed with further signings.

LaLiga has also announced that it will file a formal complaint with the Institute of Accounting and Accounts Auditing (ICAC) against the auditor who certified the operation.

This move is expected to escalate the situation, potentially further damaging Barcelona’s already fragile reputation within Spain’s financial regulatory environment.