Barcelona Makes Versatile Defender Registration Their Top Priority
Barcelona still has three players who cannot be registered for their upcoming second La Liga fixture against Levante this season.
Wojciech Szczęsny, Roony Bardghji and Gerard Martín continue to be unavailable due to Barcelona's ongoing struggle to meet La Liga's 1:1 financial fair play regulations. Nevertheless, the Catalan club is making intensive efforts to complete the registration of these three players, with Martín's case appearing to take precedence.
Mundo Deportivo indicates that Martín is at the front of the queue for registration, as Barcelona strives to make the 23-year-old defender available for Flick's selection against Levante - a player the German coach considers essential for his squad.
The solution to registering Martín lies in reaching a deal to cancel the contract of unwanted midfielder Oriol Romeu. Flick has clearly indicated that Romeu has no future in his plans, demonstrated by the player's absence from Barcelona's preseason tour.
Per MARCA, Romeu's representative has been in ongoing discussions with the club seeking to finalize a contract termination agreement. The expectation is that by allowing him to depart without a transfer fee, Romeu would forfeit part of his wages, thereby enabling Martín's registration.
During the previous campaign, Martín could participate without complications as he was listed as a Barça Atlètic player rather than first team personnel. However, since the player reached 23 years old in February, he cannot be registered with the reserve team due to age restrictions.
Martín made 42 appearances for Barcelona in the previous season, functioning as Alejandro Balde's main substitute. Following Balde's injury toward the end of the season, Martín received substantial playing time, including contributing two assists during Barcelona's devastating Champions League semifinal loss to Inter Milan.
Flick commended Martín for his adaptability demonstrated throughout preseason, where he operated as a central defender for the first time under the German manager. With Iñigo Martinez's exit, Barcelona presently lacks a left-footed center back in their roster, making Martín a potential solution to this problem.
After Barcelona successfully registers Martín, Szczęsny becomes the next priority, while Bardghji's registration will likely be delayed until near the transfer window's conclusion.