There may be an unlikely snag in Barcelona’s bid to sign Josip Juranovic.
UEFA has now taken Club Licencing and Financial Sustainability in-house which means that being on friendly terms with a national association dependent on commercial deals no longer cuts it.
How exactly UEFA can enforce their regulations remains to be seen but it has had an impact on the way clubs are operating in the transfer market.
A decade or less ago Barcelona would barely blink at paying out £15m for Juranovic, in January 2018 they paid Liverpool £146m for Philippe Coutinho.
These days things need to be done more carefully but despite the issue of sustainability they still signed Robert Lewandowski, Joules Kounde and Raphinha for a combined £150m.
Covering interest in the Celtic defender, Anthony Joseph discusses whether Barcelona can sign Juranovic?
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said last month that the club will still find it difficult to make January signings despite improving the health of their finances.
“We had to make some levers, which were economic operations that saved the club from ruin, and now the club is in economic recovery,” he said.
“But despite that, according to the rules of financial fair play of the Spanish league, we cannot sign.
“Us and some other La Liga clubs are also trying to convince La Liga to be more flexible, and allow us other types of interpretations that can make Barcelona even stronger.”
Whether he ends up playing at the Nou Camp is unclear but interest from Barcelona could firm up offers from other clubs looking in on Croatia’s outstanding right back.
