Bournemouth’s move for Barcelona’s Julian Araújo has led to questions being asked back in Catalunya, particularly over the club’s reporting of finances.
Xavier Bosch covers the situation for Mundo Deportivo today and how Barcelona have been careful to keep their finances out of the public domain.
He explains that when Barcelona sold Araújo to Bournemouth last week, they announced the Cherries were paying €10m to make the transfer happen.
That’s seen as good business and everyone is happy, but it was a change of the norm for the Catalan club, who usually adopt an approach of ‘permanent opacity’.
Bosch explains that when they signed Dani Olmo earlier this summer, the club did not report the amount of the operation. That was left down to journalists to do.
Indeed, transparency has been ‘conspicuous by its absence’ when it comes to such matters according to the journalist. He lists examples, with catering company Aramark, who ‘charges us for water at rioja prices’ yet to announce the financials behind a renewed partnership with the club.
That’s despite the company actually becoming shareholders of Barça Vision. Again, it was left to journalists to share the numbers.
Even a new contract with Nike, or Barça Media’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange, or an agreement with Disano Iluminación all went unreported by the club.
Yet, the deal selling Araújo to Bournemouth was presented loudly and proudly, something Bosch seems to find rather suspicious.
He doesn’t go as far as to make any accusations but does make it clear there’s something going on at the Camp Nou behind the scenes, and Bournemouth’s deal for Araújo has only helped to highlight it.
