Barcelona’s efforts to retain Dani Olmo have hit a major setback as a Spanish court rejected the club’s bid to extend his registration beyond December 31, potentially paving the way for the star midfielder’s departure.
Dani Olmo, who joined Barcelona from RB Leipzig last summer for €60 million, has been embroiled in registration complications due to La Liga’s stringent spending caps on wages and transfers.
Barcelona temporarily registered Olmo using an exception tied to long-term injuries, utilising 80% of defender Andreas Christensen’s salary allowance. However, La Liga rejected the club’s request to extend his registration through the season, leading the Blaugrana to seek legal intervention.
In a ruling dated Monday, a Barcelona commercial court dismissed the club’s claims, stating the long-term injury exception could not justify exceeding financial limits to register new players. The court added that Olmo’s contract, originally set to run until 2030, would effectively end on December 31 if he remained unregistered, citing a clause that could release him under such circumstances.
The ruling raises the possibility of Dani Olmo leaving Barcelona for free, a move that would be a significant blow to the Catalan giants. Olmo’s contract reportedly includes a clause allowing his departure if registration issues persist.
While the club can appeal the decision, Spanish media suggest alternative strategies to secure Olmo’s registration. These include launching further legal challenges, leveraging personal guarantees from board members, or generating funds through pre-sales of VIP packages for the revamped Camp Nou.
The potential loss of Olmo comes as Barcelona struggles to maintain its early-season momentum. Currently third in La Liga, Hansi Flick’s team trails leaders Atletico Madrid by three points and sits two points behind Real Madrid, having played one more game than both rivals.
La Liga, meanwhile, defended its decision, emphasising that the rules were applied equally to all teams to ensure a level playing field.
