“We’ve all left and yet they can’t sign players!” – Gerard Pique launches attack at Barcelona for blaming him and 2 others over financial struggle
Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique recently criticized the club's questionable financial decisions following the departures of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
Once a cornerstone of Barcelona, Pique announced his retirement in the middle of the 2022-23 season to ease the financial burden on the football club.
Following Pique's mid-season departure, Alba and Busquets announced that they will be leaving the club at the end of the season to reduce pressure on the club's wage bill. All three players were long-time servants of the Catalonian giants.
Barca's recent history is littered with questionable financial decisions, including misfiring big-money signings and a monumental wage bill.
Pique lobbed criticism towards the Catalan club, stating that despite his conscious decision to retire and lighten the financial load, the situation did not improve. He explained to members of the Kings League (via Daily Mail):
"I'm glad I left because I gave Barca space on the salary scale. But it seems that, despite this, there are still financial problems. I wonder who should go now. They said that we are responsible for our salaries (Pique, Busquets, Alba). Now, we've all left and yet they can't sign players!"
Barcelona were hoping to sign Lionel Messi as a free agent this summer, but despite the departures of Pique, Alba, and Busquets, a deal for the Argentine won't be possible.
Messi is reportedly on the verge of signing for MLS side Inter Miami as Barca's financial situation did not allow them to make a suitable offer for the forward.
Barcelona are struggling to sell three key players
As reported by Ferran Correas from SPORT (via Barca Universal), attempts to facilitate exits for three players - Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, and Franck Kessie - seem to be stagnating.
Ansu Fati's agent Jorge Mendes had mapped out an escape route for the young talent, suggesting a player-plus-cash swap deal with Ruben Neves from Wolves. This proposed move would see the La Masia prodigy head to the English Premier League, but Fati has refused to part ways with the club.
The prospect of Torres parting ways with Barca is embroiled in complications of its own. A substantial amount of his transfer fee, nearing €40 million, is yet to be written off the books. Although there is interest from Premier League clubs, concrete offers have yet to be tabled for the Spanish winger.
Adding to Barcelona's growing list of dilemmas is the situation surrounding Kessie, who was signed from AC Milan last summer. Kessie's agent recently took steps to quash circulating rumours that the midfielder had reached an agreement to part ways with Barca.