Barcelona 'still unable to register new signings'

Barcelona reportedly still need to balance their books before they can register any of their new summer signings.

The Catalan giants completed the signings of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen at the beginning of the month on free transfers from AC Milan and Chelsea respectively.

Brazilian winger Raphinha soon followed from Leeds United for an initial fee worth around €58m (£49.2m), before Robert Lewandowski completed his €50m (£42.5m) switch from Bayern Munich last week.

All four players took part in Barcelona's 1-0 pre-season victory over La Liga rivals Real Madrid on their tour of the USA on Sunday, with Raphinha scoring the only goal of the game in the first half.

However, Barca's new quartet are currently at risk of missing their 2022-23 season opener at home to Rayo Vallecano next month.

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According to Marca, Barcelona need to sell players and reduce their wage bill before they can register any of their new arrivals.

Barca revealed at the beginning of June that their wage bill stood at €560m, a figure significantly higher than that of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich whose stood at around €400m.

The report adds that the Catalan club's current wage bill is "skyrocketing" and they are not close to selling any first-team players at present.

Frenkie de Jong has been the standout name linked with a big-money exit to Manchester United this summer, with both clubs allegedly reaching a full agreement for the Dutch midfielder to move to Old Trafford for around €85m (£72m).

However, De Jong has no interest in reuniting with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Man United and is prepared to take a wage cut to remain in Catalonia.

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Another player who has been linked with an exit is fellow Dutchman Memphis Depay who has also been linked with the Red Devils, while a move to Tottenham Hotspur has also been mooted.

A recent report claims that Barca are hoping to raise as much as €100m (£85m) by selling both De Jong and Depay this summer, although the bulk of this fee would come from the sale of the former who is now increasingly likely to stay at the club given his stance on his future.

Barcelona may also have problems with both Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Roberto, with Marca adding that the pair will need to be re-registered by the club after seeing their original contracts expire at the end of June before agreeing fresh terms on new deals.

Despite their financial problems, the Catalan giants remain active in the transfer market and are seemingly edging closer to completing a deal for Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde who could cost around £55m.