Manchester United are reportedly keeping a close eye on Dani Olmo's situation at Barcelona, with the Spain international potentially becoming available on a free transfer at the start of January.
Olmo returned to Barcelona, where he was a former youth-team player, over the summer, but the Catalan outfit were only able to register him until the end of the year due to financial issues.
Barcelona's inability to meet La Liga's wage cap restrictions meant that only a short-term registration could be put in place, and the Catalan team have allegedly suffered a major blow in their bid to keep hold of him.
According to BBC Sport, the club's appeal for the precautionary registration of Olmo for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign has been rejected.
La Liga have since released a statement supporting the court's decision to reject the appeal, which has left Barcelona facing the real prospect of losing the 26-year-old on a free transfer at the end of this month.
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Barcelona could lose Olmo on a free transfer
"La Liga has today learned of the ruling... rejecting the request for the provisional registration of Dani Olmo until June 30, 2025, on the grounds that none of the necessary conditions for the adoption of an interim measure have been met," read a La Liga statement.
"The ruling also stresses that 'the purpose of allowing additional spending is so that a long-term injury does not weaken the team's competitiveness, not to use a long-term injury to allow the registration of players whose salaries exceed the limit, which is what FC Barcelona is attempting'."
Barcelona were able to allocate a portion of their wages to register Olmo due to injury problems in the squad, but their ongoing financial problems has created a huge problem when it comes to keeping hold of him.
The Catalan giants are expected to launch a new appeal in a lower court in a bid to secure the precautionary measure, which would allow him to represent the club for the second half of the season.
There have been suggestions that Barcelona could sell VIP box seats in their new Spotify Camp Nou stadium in a bid to raise the required funds, but time is fast running out for Hansi Flick's side.
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Could Man United really sign Olmo on a free transfer?
According to the Daily Mail, Man United are among 'several' Premier League clubs keeping an eye on the situation, with the attacker's agent Andy Bara travelling to Manchester on Thursday.
Bara said that he was 'on holiday' in Manchester, but Man United, as well as Manchester City and Arsenal, are believed to be prepared to move for the Euro 2024 winner if he becomes available.
The attacker has scored six goals and registered one assist in 15 appearances for Barcelona during the 2024-25 campaign, including five goals in 11 appearances in the top flight of Spanish football.
According to El Desmarque, Olmo is confident that Barcelona will be able to find a solution, with a new lawsuit against La Liga being planned.
Barcelona lost their two games before the winter break against Leganes and Atletico Madrid; the Catalan outfit will return to the field on January 4 with a clash against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey.
Matt Law
