The La Liga 1:1 rule that allows Barcelona to spend more than any year since Lionel Messi left

The reason why Barcelona can spend more than £150million on Anthony Gordon and several other targets has been revealed.

It's widely known that in recent years, despite the fact that they are perhaps the biggest football club in the world, Barcelona have struggled with financial problems.

Just last summer, new signing Marcus Rashford had to wait before becoming an official Barcelona player as the club struggled to register players due to La Liga's salary limits.

Therefore, many were surprised when it was widely reported that the club had reached an agreement in principle with Newcastle United to sign Anthony Gordon for £70m plus bonuses.

Ahead of him jetting off to North America to represent England at the World Cup, the winger arrived in Barcelona to undergo a medical before signing a contract that is set to double his wages to around £300,000 per week.

Less than 24 hours later, it was confirmed that Barcelona were preparing to send off an official bid to sign Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, with the former Manchester City star being eyed up as a replacement for the outgoing Robert Lewandowski.

It is reported that Barca are preparing a proposal that will not include any players or swap deal option and will instead be a straight cash bid in the region of €100million (£86.7m).

So, with over £150 million being spent before the summer transfer window officially opens on June 15, it begs the question – how have Barcelona suddenly gone from financial turmoil to financial freedom?

La Liga's 1:1 rule explained and how it helps Barcelona

After several difficult transfer windows, it appears that Barcelona has now finally fallen on the positive side of La Liga’s 1:1 financial rule, granting them significantly more freedom with their transfer strategy.

This financial framework means that every single euro the club generates through player sales or wage reductions can then be spent on signing new members for the squad.

A large part of why Barcelona have suddenly fallen back in favour of the rule is reportedly due to the departure of Lewandowski, which is believed to have freed up around €40m (£34.7) from the wage structure.

Add to this the fact that their return to the Camp Nou will bring in new revenue streams and Barcelona's board are reportedly confident that their financial struggles are firmly behind them.

Barcelona identify four key targets to pursue after signing Gordon and Alvarez

With that in mind, Barcelona don't plan on slowing down in the transfer window after Gordon and Alvarez.

In fact, the pair are just two of the four key moves that the club are planning to make in the summer as they move steadily towards a transfer sum reaching the €365million (£316.5m) spent in 2017–18, when they signed both Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele

As soon as the move for Gordon was reported, many assumed that it meant the end of Marcus Rashford's time at Barcelona despite his performances for the club this season.

However, it is not believed that Gordon's arrival will impact the club's hopes of securing a permanent deal for the Manchester United forward, with discussions over a price set to continue in the summer.

Another loan player expected to stay at the club is former Manchester City star Joao Cancelo, who played for the Spanish side on loan and signed for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal this season.

And it appears that Cancelo and Alvarez won't be the only former City players to play at the Camp Nou next season as a deal for Bernardo Silva, who leaves City as a free agent this summer, is believed to be close.

Finally, with the rest of the squad rejuvenated, Barcelona are then expected to turn their attention to a new defender, with a new centre back believed to be the top priority.

However, if defender Jules Kounde is to leave over the summer, Barcelona could focus on signing a new full-back, with Denzel Dumfries reportedly an option.