Spanish justice refused on Friday to extend FC Barcelona’s exemption for the registration of Dani Olmo in La Liga. Due to a clause in his contract and pending another legal request from the Catalan club, the playmaker could sign for free with another team in January as soon as the winter transfer window opens.
Confidence or big bluff. Joan Laporta and the Catalan management seemed calm in recent days regarding the future of Dani Olmo at Barça. But that could quickly change with the decision rendered this Friday, December 27 by the Spanish courts and relayed by the local press.
The Barcelona commercial court refused to grant a new exemption to the Blaugrana club for the registration of the playmaker and that of Pau Victor in La Liga for the second part of the season.
If it won’t change much for the defender trained at Masia, it risks causing the departure of Dani Olmo during the winter transfer window. In recent days, his agent even made a trip to England to discuss with potential courtiers.
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Towards a loss of 60 million euros for Barça
Due to a supposed clause in his contract, Dani Olmo would be allowed to leave Barcelona freely if his management fail to sign him to La Liga. Clearly, from January 1, the winner of Euro 2024 will be available free of charge to all other clubs. A departure of the 26-year-old attacking midfielder in the next transfer window would be a terrible blow for Barça after the 60 million euros invested to snatch him from RB Leipzig during the summer.
Before the exemption obtained thanks to the long-term injury of Andreas Christensen for the first half of the 2024-2025 campaign, the Spanish international with 41 caps had already missed the first two days of La Liga for administrative issues and the difficulties of Barça to comply with the Spanish league salary cap.
A final legal chance for Barça
And it is precisely the very nature of this salary cap which offers Barça a last resort to retain Dani Olmo. Still according to the newspaper Mundo Deportivo, another hearing is planned before the courts on December 30. The Catalan club denounces the existence of rules to limit salaries in La Liga.
In fact, FC Barcelona claims that the body chaired by Javier Tebas is not legitimate and therefore cannot legally put in place legal rules on sports competitions.
In the event of another legal defeat, the Catalan club will have to make up its mind: Dani Olmo is free to sign with the team of his choice. But in the event of Barça’s victory, the entire La Liga salary cap system could be shattered.
