Barcelona owe €102 million in wages to Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets

Barcelona reportedly owe a whopping €102 million in wages to their two captains, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets.

The club's financial struggles have been well documented and they have to activate a number of economic levers in order to register their new players for the new La Liga season.

After an initial refusal from La Liga, the club confirmed a fourth economic lever had been pulled - with 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios being sold to Orpheus Media for a fee of €100 million (£84 million).

That meant Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski were all able to be registered, though Jules Kounde is still in limbo and was ineligible for the 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano last weekend.

🚨🚨| FC Barcelona have to pay €52M to Gerard Piqué & €50M to Sergio Busquets next season. @ARAesports

— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) August 17, 2022

As they have done before, Barca's long-serving players have been asked to take hefty pay cuts. But according to Catalan outlet ARA, there hasn't been much progression with Busquets and Pique as they are both owed huge sums.

€50 million is the amount which belongs to Busquets, though it's said the issue is not too pressing as he is set to extend his contract at the Nou Camp and is content with the money being paid in the years remaining on his new deal.

Pique, who posted a picture of his bank transfer to show his reduced salary that allowed the registration of Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia last term, is owed €52 million.

Though reports claimed Pique was willing to take a substantial cut and effectively not earn a wage this season, neither he or Busquets have come to an agreement despite weeks of talks.

Frenkie de Jong, who has the source of constant speculation, is believed to be owed £17 million in wages in relation to a deferred salary cut agreed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barca had debts totalling over €1 billion and prior to the draw with Rayo, former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart laid into president Joan Laporta.

He said: "How on earth can you buy players when you have no money? I find it a disgrace. And Laporta who keeps laughing everywhere with his big head. This man thinks he's the king. But I think he's a bit of an idiot."

A furious Van der Vaart ahead of Barça vs Rayo Vallecano: [1/3]

"How on earth can you buy players when you have no money? I find it a disgrace. And Laporta who keeps laughing everywhere with his big head. This man thinks he's the king. But I think he's a bit of an idiot." pic.twitter.com/xVKhHlhJNd

— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) August 13, 2022