October 12, (THEWILL) – Barcelona’s new signing, Joao Felix, agreed to a huge reduction in his salary in order to join the Spanish club. According to Barcelona vice-president, Eduard Romeu, Felix agreed to £345,000 salary per year, or around £7,700 per week.
This represents a major decrease from the £289,000 per week wage the Portugal international was earning at parent club, Atletico Madrid. Felix fell out of favour at Atletico and spent the second half of last season on loan at Chelsea. The Blues paid a £8.7m loan fee and covered Felix’s massive wages.
Barcelona’s well-documented financial issues meant matching such a salary that high was impossible. Felix confirmed he gave up “a significant amount” of pay to make the move happen. Reducing salaries has been a part of Barcelona’s plan to get their finances back in order.
Romeu revealed Barcelona still have debts totalling £1bn. When the current board arrived, debts were around £1.2bn. The club’s so-called activation of economic “levers” – selling off assets – have served to cover losses and reduce debt, which Romeu is focused on eradicating.
Securing Felix’s signature for such a relatively small salary remains a Catalan coup for Barcelona. Atletico will hope Felix rediscovers his best form at Camp Nou as they retain a sell-on interest in the player.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
