Last week, Barcelona released a statement on their financial situation that suggested things are moving in the right direction.
They announced savings of €170million ($186m; £143m) on player salaries thanks to sales and exits, going from spending €670m on their wage bill to €500m. That new figure means they are in line with UEFA recommendations that clubs only spend 70 per cent of total revenues on wages.
Barca added that they plan to maintain that ratio for the 2024-25 season, which at first glance seems feasible — but there’s a catch.
Several of the squad’s most high-profile players have contracts that need renewing soon, with many of them on big salaries. Ronald Araujo, Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal are expecting talks to start soon but it is hard to see them all signing new deals without the wage bill suffering — or without Barca offloading other players.
So, what’s the situation with each of those players?
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Ronald Araujo (deal expires 2026)
One of the major situations sporting director Deco must deal with.
In the summer, Araujo was seen as one of Barcelona’s most sellable assets. A hamstring injury he suffered with Uruguay at the Copa America ended any chances of an exit and he is expected to be sidelined for at least another month.
The defender will enter the final 18 months of his deal in January. The 25-year-old has always said he wants to stay at Barcelona — his family are settled in the city and he is part of a talented squad — but it is not a guarantee he will agree a new deal.
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During talks before Araujo’s last extension in 2022, he was told he would receive a salary upgrade that would take him closer to the squad’s highest earners. Can Barca afford that this time? And even if they can, should they give Arauja a significant pay rise given their financial situation and the players coming through at centre-back?
The 25-year-old was not impressed by Barca using his long-term injury to register players under La Liga’s rules this summer. His camp is also aware that concerns about the club’s finances might put his future in doubt.
If Araujo doesn’t sign a deal before next summer, he could be put up for sale at a reasonable price. If he stays, Barca would be securing the future of a defender with lots of potential, but at a price that will probably have an impact on the contract situations of other players.
Pedri (deal expires 2026)
“I am very calm and happy to play for the club I dreamed of. I know Barca will keep their word on what we talked about in the past.”
Pedri has enjoyed a fine start to the season (Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
That was how Pedri described his contract situation in a pre-match press conference in April. His previous extension, agreed two years ago, included a gentlemen’s agreement that the deal would be a stepping stone to becoming one of the club’s higher earners. Pedri, 21, is paid less than Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong, with local reports suggesting his wage is around €10m per season.
Pedri’s recurring injuries were a significant factor behind Deco restructuring Barcelona’s team of physiotherapists and fitness coaches, demonstrating the midfielder’s importance to their plans. The changes have helped Pedri start the season in fine form, and the club see a new deal for him as fundamental, even if it will be costly.
Gavi (deal expires 2026)
Another significant talking point for Barcelona, with the midfielder expected to return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury in around a month.
Both sides are expected to reach an agreement — Gavi wants to stay at the club whatever happens and Barca see him as an untouchable asset. Negotiations are expected to begin once the 20-year-old’s recovery is complete and his extension will likely mean he receives a significant salary upgrade.
Lamine Yamal (deal expires 2026)
Twelve months ago, Yamal signed his first professional deal, a three-year deal with a €1billion release clause. The club and player agreed his contract would be revisited when the winger turned 18 in July 2025, but that was before he became a global superstar for Barca and Spain.
Yamal’s camp expects a new round of talks with Barca soon. They consider that verbal agreement to wait until next summer to be outdated. His agent, Jorge Mendes, will surely be visiting his friends Joan Laporta and Deco in the coming months.
Frenkie de Jong (deal expires 2026)
As one of the squad’s highest earners, De Jong’s contract has been a hot topic in the local press.
The Dutch midfielder told club channel Barca One last week that he wasn’t getting paid “€37m per season, as I’ve seen reported somewhere” and that his salary was “very, very far from that figure”. Local reports suggested his actual annual figure is €23m.
De Jong comes on for his first La Liga appearance of the season against Alaves (Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images)
Regardless, his wage still has a significant impact on the club’s budget, which is why Barca made an initial approach last season to extend his contract. Deco wanted De Jong to sign a new deal so they could spread his salary over more years, easing the pressure on the club’s balance sheet and putting off the risk of losing the 27-year-old on a free transfer.
No progress has been made and it’s difficult to see a breakthrough happening soon, unless one of the sides makes a serious compromise.
Robert Lewandowski (deal expires 2025, with clause)
His three-year deal ends next summer, but it includes a clause to trigger an additional season if Lewandowski plays in more than 55 per cent of Barca’s minutes this season. Given their lack of alternatives at centre-forward, he will almost certainly reach that threshold.
Lewandowski has made his best start to a campaign since joining Barca in 2022, with 12 goals and two assists in 11 games across all competitions, but he is the club’s highest earner. Work would be needed in other areas to keep paying his salary for another season.
Inigo Martinez (deal expires 2025)
Martinez has been a key player for coach Hansi Flick, staying after the manager made a special request to the club’s decision-makers for his registration. Flick sees the 33-year-old centre-back as an experienced player who can be a role model for Barca’s younger generation.
The club aren’t planning to start talks over a new deal, partly because they don’t need to. If Martinez plays at least 45 minutes in 60 per cent of Barca games this season, his deal will be automatically extended for another season. He is well on course to meet those requirements.
Martinez is a key leader for Flick (Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Andreas Christensen (deal expires 2026)
If the club and the player don’t agree a new contract before the end of the season, Barca could leave the door open for Christensen to leave.
Christensen will enter the final 18 months of his deal in January and joined on a free transfer from Chelsea three years ago, meaning any money raised from a sale could be banked as pure profit on Barca’s books.
He is on a significant salary, a consequence of signing him when his Chelsea contract had expired. He has been out with an Achilles injury since the start of the season but the club expect him to return before January.
Not playing won’t help raise Christensen’s value, but his experience, especially at 28 years old, should mean he has suitors around Europe.
Fermin Lopez (deal expires 2027)
His future is tied to Barca for the next three years, but Fermin impressed the club with his impact last season and was part of Spain’s winning squads at the European Championship in Germany and the Paris Olympics.
That led the club to consider offering the 21-year-old academy graduate a new deal to reflect his rapid rise to the first team — but the attacking midfielder is injured and has barely played under Flick, so that’s on hold.
Eric Garcia (deal expires 2026)
Garcia has become a versatile asset for Flick as a holding midfielder and his performances this season will decide Barca’s plan of action with him.
The futures of Christensen and Araujo could play a part. Girona were keen on signing Garcia permanently in the summer after a year on loan there, but Barca’s injuries in midfield before the end of the transfer window blocked any move.
Inaki Pena (deal expires 2026)
This is a significant season for Barca’s reserve goalkeeper, who has been thrust into the limelight after Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s season-ending injury.
Negotiations are not expected to start soon, but how the 25-year-old performs in Ter Stegen’s absence, with Wojciech Szczesny having arrived on a short-term contract, will help determine Barca’s plans.
(Top photo: Getty Images)
