Barcelona captain slams club for salary cut reports

FC Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets is not happy about recent reports claiming that senior members of the squad are facing yet another pay cut as the club struggles to balance its books. He has slammed the fact that these details are openly being talked about in the media while the players themselves have not heard about it from club authorities.

The summer transfer window is expected to be a busy one for the Blaugrana, but it is no secret that they will need to offload a number of valuable players to generate cash before they can sign new talent. Apart from showing the exit door to some players, it has been reported that more pay cuts are needed in order to allow the club to acquire players and register their contracts within La Liga's salary cap rules.

Busquets claims that he is hearing about the salary reductions for the first time from the press. "I've heard a lot of things being said and when I come back from holiday I don't know what they will tell me," he said, while speaking at a press conference for the Spanish National Team.

"I would like them to tell me and not find out from somewhere else, but I'm always willing to help. They haven't proposed anything to us, they haven't told us anything beyond what we hear from you [the press]," he added, as quoted by Marca. Last season, the club had already approached the players for help when it became clear that the amount of debt that the club is facing is far more than initially thought.

The whole organisation had to make financial sacrifices, and the first team squad was not spared. Apart from slashed wages, they also had to let go of Lionel Messi, whose contract extension they could not afford.

"It's not the best decision to do it through the press, it's always better to be direct and face to face," added Busquets, who took over as captain after the departure of the Argentine last summer.

The Catalan giants have been linked with a number of big moves this summer, but their financial situation is telling a different story. Manager Xavi Hernandez has big plans, but the club needs to generate more cash in order to bring those plans to fruition.

Even the contract extension of Ousmane Dembele has fallen through, with the player apparently remaining unsatisfied with the club's final offer. Furthermore, the Blaugrana are openly trying to sign Robert Lewandowski, who still has a year remaining in his Bayern Munich contract. Needless to say, the club needs a lot of money in order to make things happen.