Barcelona have been handed a mammoth increase of approximately €560m (£490.1m) on their wage cap for the 2022-23 season after the official figures were released by La Liga.
For all of their financial woes, the Catalan giants were extremely active in the transfer market with the big-money signings of Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.
Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso also arrived as free agents, while Ousmane Dembele was signed to a new two-year deal on reduced terms.
Barca's significant summer outlay led to Joan Laporta brokering numerous off-the-pitch deals to alleviate club debts, including a lucrative sponsorship with music streaming platform Spotify.
Barcelona have also sold 25% of their TV rights for the next 25 years, but they were unable to register all of their new signings in time for the 2022-23 La Liga season, with Kounde forced to miss the opening-day draw with Rayo Vallecano.
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However, Barcelona were able to cut numerous high earners from their wage books, as the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Miralem Pjanic, Philippe Coutinho, Martin Braithwaite and Riqui Puig departed permanently.
Meanwhile, Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Sergino Dest and Francisco Trincao have been loaned out for the season, and Barcelona can look forward to a heavily increased wage cap for the coming months.
After operating under a cap of €97m (£84.9m) last term, Barca have now been granted a total of €656.5m (£574.5m) to work with after offloading a plethora of unwanted players.
Xavi's side currently find themselves two points behind leaders Real Madrid in the embryonic standings, and the reigning champions are working with €683.4m (£598.1m) - a decrease of €55.6m (£48.6m) from €739m (£646.7m).
Los Blancos only made one big-money signing in the form of Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco, while Antonio Rudiger also joined on a free transfer from Chelsea.
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The rest of Real's transfer window was dominated by outgoings, as Casemiro, Isco, Gareth Bale, Marcelo, Luka Jovic and Takefusa Kubo all ended their associations with the capital club.
Across the capital, Atletico Madrid have been handed the third-highest wage budget with €341m (£298.4m) but Diego Simeone's side are currently at the centre of transfer controversy.
Antoine Griezmann is into the second season of a two-year loan spell back at the Wanda Metropolitano from Barcelona, but the 31-year-old has not started a single game this season.
Simeone has suggested that he is under orders not to select Griezmann from the first whistle so the club can avoid paying a €50m (£43.8m) clause to make his stay permanent.
As a result, Barcelona are reportedly seeking legal advice over the deal, with Griezmann playing less than half an hour in all five of his substitute outings so far.
Ben Knapton
