Barça are still unable to sign up their recruits – notably Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha or Jules Koundé – to start the La Liga season and still have to generate salary margin to do so. One of the possible levers concerns the emoluments of Gerard Pique, to whom Barcelona are supposed to pay 52 million euros gross this season, according to the local press.
An astronomical amount. According to the Catalan newspaper WE BUY, Barça have reportedly agreed to pay Gerard Pique €52m gross for the 2022-2023 season. A colossal sum which is explained by the defender’s salary but above all by a double criterion: due to the context around the Covid-19 pandemic, the Spanish international had accepted a deferral of remuneration. To this is also added the agreement reached between Pique and the management of Joan Laporta last summer, with a new salary deferral (70%) which had made it possible to register rookies Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia in La Liga.
Recruits are not yet registered
Hence Barça’s desire, as during an interview on Wednesday, to ask his player for a drop in salary. Because the Catalans still have to register their recruits: Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé, Raphinha, Franck Kessié and Andreas Christensen. To date, these new players in the squad are not yet registered and therefore cannot be fielded by Xavi in the league.
Time is running out for FC Barcelona, which will end its preparation on Sunday with the Gamper Trophy against the Pumas and which will start in La Liga against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday August 13. Especially since the club still plans at least one arrival, continuing to negotiate to convince Chelsea to let go of Marcos Alonso, after the failure of the Cesar Azpilicueta track, who finally extended for two years with the Blues.
Given the sums at stake, an agreement with Gerard Pique could make it possible to do this without activating a new “palanca” by selling another part of the operating rights of Barça Studios. Especially since according to Sportthe 35-year-old will have little playing time in the coming months, being considered by his coach as the fifth central defender in the hierarchy, behind Koundé, Christensen, Garcia and Araujo, the latter being tipped for a starting role in the corridor right.