Barcelona have managed to free up significant space in their wage bill over the last 48 hours, thanks to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Inigo Martinez. The former has signed the medical documentation that should allow Barcelona to register Joan Garcia in his place, while the veteran defender is leaving to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
Those two moves should allow Barcelona to register the vast majority of players whose registrations are still pending, and with the expectation of further exits being agreed in the coming weeks, the door could be opened for a fourth signing of the summer transfer window – after Garcia, Roony Bardghji and Marcus Rashford.
Hansi Flick would welcome another addition, and he has communicated this to Deco. As per Sport, the Barcelona sporting director has now started his search for this.
Flick is aware that it may not be possible for another signing to arrive due to the club’s financial woes, but he has asked Deco to make preparations in case it is viable. Specifically, he wants a new central defender to replace Martinez, but the player in question must also be able to operate as a full-back.
Earlier in the summer, reports emerged that Flick wanted Barcelona to sign a new full-back this summer, although it quickly became apparent that his request was unlikely to be fulfilled due to Deco prioritising the arrival of a goalkeeper (Garcia) and left winger (Rashford). But now that some leeway has been created, there is a chance that something could be done.
For now, the key thing for Barcelona is to return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule, which will make it easier for another signing, and the respective registration, to be done before the summer transfer window closes at the start of September.